AMT Lab @ CMU: As exemplified by the Hollywood strikes of 2023, we find ourselves in a new era of Artificial Intelligence in film and television. While studios are looking to cut costs, performers seek job security, and consumers seek quality content. Through research conducted in collaboration with facial motion capture technology provider Faceware Technologies Inc., Master of Entertainment Industry Management students at Carnegie Mellon sought to gain insight on how AI-generated content will transform existing industries, including how this technology could affect employment in the entertainment industry, content development, budgets, contracts, legislation, and privacy rights.
3 comments:
AI in the creative industry is a huge concern. As helpful as it is, it not only poses a threat to the jobs of human artists, but it also takes away from “art”. AI art is a different genre of art. Part of what makes art is how human it is. The emotion and intention that is behind every word or brushstroke. AI can certainly mimic it, and get extremely close to it, but it will never replicate it in the same way.
Unfortunately, industry is always about quantity or quality. If AI is cheaper, faster, and more efficient, then that is what will be used.
That being said, we shouldn’t be scared of AI– we should figure out how to use it ethically. It can be used in a way that doesn’t have negative consequences and can contribute to an art piece. We should use it alongside humans, not instead of.
This same approach can be applied to all types of developing technologies. For instance phones in school. We should be figuring out how to use technology and phones in a learning environment, not having kids put them in “phone jail” at the beginning of class.
The strikes, as the article mentions, have made Hollywood much more “frugal” - or, in my eyes, stingy when it comes to artists and big-spenders when it comes to A.I. technologies that could replace the artists. However, this article outlines some of the appropriate, beneficial uses of A.I. in places of common human error in repetitive tasks (like much of financial tasks). This isn’t just applicable to Hollywood, either. This can spread across fields rampantly - such as A.I. does these days. In some cases, automation can help with not only cost and accuracy, but also efficiency in time, allowing for artists to continue to be creative without as much worry about strategic choices. I can’t help but wonder what this means for collaboration, financially. Can artists on a project all get proportionally larger budgets? Would it mean more of a tolerance for error or accident? What does this mean long-term for Hollywood itself?
I think that AI should be used to supplement, never to create. While it can be a useful tool, and the high level technology should be utilized in different ways, using AI to completely replace an artist's work in any formatting is wrong. Digitally replicating an actor's likeness in any way is wrong unless they completely sign off on it happening and are involved in every step of the process. I’m glad that the strike happened- the power of unions is very real and when everyone believes in it great things can happen. I still am worried about film companies utilizing AI technology to completely replace hard-working artists, but important steps like this can help legally prevent some of the dangers of replacing artists. I’m glad these changes are being made and openly discussed.
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