Hollywood Fights AI In Public While Quietly Building It Into Movies
Even as Hollywood performers protest and Hollywood studios sue "in their war on AI," reports the Los Angeles Times, "the entertainment industry is deepening its dependence on it." Among hundreds of job postings in late June, more than one in 10 was likely connected to AI. The top studios' public postings suggest they have been recruiting people to build AI tools. They are also recruiting teams to…
Hollywood performers and studios are clashing in a public battle against artificial intelligence, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. Yet, behind closed doors, the entertainment industry is increasingly relying on AI technology. In a recent surge of job postings, over one in ten appeared to be related to AI. The top studios have been busy recruiting individuals to develop AI tools, while simultaneously seeking to protect their intellectual property from unauthorized AI usage.
Yoland Yan, co-founder of ComfyUI, explained that many studios are hiring for AI-related positions but are cautious about discussing it publicly to avoid consumer backlash and union opposition. The use of generative AI in film production is often kept under wraps due to these concerns. Some industry insiders liken AI incorporation to cosmetic surgery, implying that it's a widespread practice yet not openly acknowledged.
Despite the studios' reluctance to disclose their AI strategies, some high-profile figures have been more forthcoming about their acceptance of the technology. "Star Wars" creator George Lucas, for example, sees AI as a crucial advancement in filmmaking, stating that it's now essential for creating movies. He dismisses concerns about rejecting AI, likening it to choosing horse and buggy over a car.
Some Hollywood studios have entered into partnerships with AI companies, while filmmakers like Martin Scorsese have also demonstrated support for AI within the industry. Ben Affleck, who recently founded an AI film tech company, sold it to Netflix for a half-billion dollars. Affleck hopes to maintain artistic control by using AI for behind-the-scenes tasks such as lighting, generating missing shots, and other processes while keeping creative decisions in the hands of artists.
Major studios like Disney, Netflix, and Amazon have been actively seeking employees skilled in AI, with job postings highlighting their focus on visual effects, animation, sound, and dubbing. They are also investing in in-house teams to create custom generative AI models and adopting third-party software. While AI-generated scripts or actors are not among the advertised roles, Disney is reportedly recruiting PhD-level talent to study computer graphics and AI for Pixar and Disney films.
Moreover, Disney-owned visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic is looking for supervisors to explore emerging technologies, including AI and Machine Learning, to develop new production workflows. Skywalker Sound, Disney's audio post-production unit, is also seeking individuals to develop proprietary AI models for soundtracks, voice separation, and voice transfer.
Lastly, Amazon is seeking a principal AI executive to drive AI-tool adoption across its production processes, along with roles in operations automation and LLM content classification.
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