How generative AI boosters are trying to break into Hollywood

"In just a few short years, text-to-image models went from only being able to churn out smudgy, "dreamlike" approximations of their input to producing detailed visualizations of whatever you describe. As the AI image generators got better, text-to-video models like Runway's Gen series, Meta's Make-A-Video, and Google's Veo also came into their own. Now, some of Hollywood's biggest studios have signaled that they are ready to start riding the gen AI wave."

"Even with all of the obvious concerns about copyright infringement and job displacement that generative AI presents, a steady chorus of voices has been insisting that this technology is going to be the future of filmmaking. A lot of gen AI supporters see it as a tool that's "democratizing" art by lowering traditional barriers to entry like "learning how to draw," "learning how to play an instrument," or "learning how to write a story.""

"And even though much of what we've seen out of the AI generated video space hasn't been especially good, more and more entertainment studios seem to be betting on this technology to pay off (for them, especially) so long as everyone commits to it and ignores all of the potential harms that come along with it. The use of AI in TV and film production isn't exactly a new thing, but studios have largely been loath to talk openly about it."

Text-to-image models rapidly evolved from smudgy, dreamlike approximations into systems that produce detailed visualizations from text prompts. Text-to-video models such as Runway's Gen series, Meta's Make-A-Video, and Google's Veo have matured alongside image generators. Some of Hollywood's largest studios are signaling readiness to adopt generative AI in production workflows. Generative AI raises clear concerns about copyright infringement and job displacement for creative workers. Supporters claim the technology democratizes art by lowering traditional barriers like learning to draw, play an instrument, or write. Studios are increasingly betting on generative AI despite uneven output and potential harms, and machine learning has already been used for effects such as de-aging and face replacement in major films.

Read at The Verge