On September 18, Lionsgate, the entertainment powerhouse behind films including The Hunger Games and Twilight, announced a deal with artificial intelligence research firm Runway, allowing the company to train an AI generative model on previous Lionsgate films.
In a statement about the deal, the Vice Chair of Lionsgate, Michael Burns, described it as something that would create “capital-efficient content creation opportunities.” He added, “Several of our filmmakers are already excited about its potential applications to their pre-production and post-production process.” In addition, Lionsgate co-founder and CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela said that AI could “significantly accelerate one’s progress through creative challenges.”
The controversial deal has spurred concerns among many writers and actors regarding the impact of AI on their respective jobs. These concerns include fears that AI-generated content could lead to reduced compensation and fewer opportunities for human creators. However, the deal does not include replicating an actor’s likeness, which is another major concern entertainment workers have raised. Lionsgate argued that the goal of utilizing AI is to help the company improve its work. Runway has also marketed its technology as a tool for creatives to better carry out their artistic visions.
The increased use of AI has already had a major impact on the entertainment industry. Last year, thousands of Hollywood actors participated in a 118-day SAG-AFTRA strike, in part due to the unprecedented challenges that would come along with the use of AI in the film industry. Since the end of the strike, California has passed a law establishing protections for actors from digital AI replicas. Despite the recent legislation, studios have continued to test the limits of AI use in their projects.
