AI set to shake up the screen content industry

Generating AI videos

President Trump recently reposted an AI-created parody video of his plans for Gaza.

The controversial clip provoked a strong response around the world, thereby achieving its aim: to keep Trump at the top of the news cycle that day. 

The video also showed that it is relatively easy (i.e. low cost) to use AI to create polished content featuring well-known individuals, thereby illustrating both the opportunities and challenges of AI in the context of the screen production process.

Making film and TV content is a long, risky and expensive business. Studio executives are therefore keen to harness AI technology to lower both costs and risks. AI can be used in pre-production to storyboard planned filming more effectively, find locations or develop scripts and stories. It can eliminate the need for production crews to go to costly locations that AI can recreate digitally. Demand for extras will surely decline. And AI can add lip-synced translation in an actor’s authentic voice for overseas distribution. 

In short, creating compelling stories will become much easier. Fewer people will be needed and they will require different skills. Those wishing to work in screen production will have to learn how to create content using AI. Coders will need the skills to build and train AI models that generate life-like content.

AI will probably boost productivity in the sector. But we are some way from end-to-end live action AI-created feature films or TV programmes. AI is likely to be incorporated gradually into the production process, especially in the case of higher-end film and TV projects, meaning the impact on jobs will be steady rather than a sudden shock.

Furthermore, if a $100m movie can be made with the help of AI for $30m, in half the time, this might open the door to new producers of content, thus increasing the number and diversity of suppliers. In this way AI could be the classic example of a technology shift that lowers barriers to entry and supports competition, to the benefit of all.

Keeping a role for the creatives

Screen content is ultimately a creative endeavour, and many different roles – writers, directors, composers - could be affected by adoption of AI. Who needs John Williams and an expensive orchestra when AI can compose a film score that fits perfectly? Some worry that AI can only be damaging, either by failing to create genuinely new work or by lowering the value placed on human creativity.

However, others are confident that AI will be no substitute for human creativity. For one thing, humans are inspired by novelty, which is more difficult for AI to achieve. It is more likely, in this thinking, that AI will play a supporting role and that it will still be up to us humans to provide the creative spark that inspires us to watch a movie.

Ethical issues

The ability to digitally create convincing video content raises ethical questions for the sector: who owns the rights to a person’s image and likeness (even after death)? And how should the sector mitigate concerns around deep fakes, i.e. AI video content deliberately designed to mislead a viewer. While Trump’s AI-generated Gaza video was clearly intended as a parody, there are many examples of deep fakes having a serious impact on public opinion.

Regulatory solutions emphasise transparency to empower consumers. However, regulation should be imposed with proportionality and in a way that does not detract from the value of the content. For example, an “AI” watermark or warning on a sci-fi film that incorporates AI is clearly not useful for audiences and will lower its worth. Rather transparency should focus on the specific cases where there is most likely to be harm. 

In summary, the screen sector is likely to adopt AI tools to support more efficient production. Some jobs will be lost but others will be created; the overall supply of content could increase. In this way, screen production will be affected in much the same as any other skilled digital sector: enhanced efficiency will come at the cost of a drop in overall employment. The industry will have to adapt and invest in skills to ensure it has the required capabilities at hand.

Policymakers will need to consider a range of issues, including the misuse of AI and support for copyright and likeness rights. However, they need to tread carefully, ensuring any intervention is proportionate. Regulation is the purview of national governments, but by taking the lead in setting standards the screen production industry can help avoid significant regulatory misalignment that would add to costs and heighten risk to producers in what is a global business.