Disney Forms AI Taskforce to Cut Costs in Entertainment Industry
Disney has recently established an AI taskforce to explore and implement artificial intelligence (AI) in various departments in an effort to reduce costs. The use of AI in the entertainment industry has become increasingly common, with major studios and streaming companies considering tools like Chat GPT to write scripts. Disney’s primary objective is to decrease expenses for high-budget films, such as Indiana Jones and The Little Mermaid, in order to make them profitable even without massive box office earnings.
While actors and writers are calling for regulations on AI use in the cinematic industry, Disney is embracing the future by reportedly creating a taskforce to investigate, develop, and implement AI to cut costs across the company.
AI has been a presence in both film and television for quite some time, but in recent years, these technologies and tools have become more widespread, extending beyond the industry to everyday use. When the writers’ strike began 100 days ago, rumors surfaced suggesting that big studios and streaming companies were considering the utilization of tools like Chat GPT to write scripts for projects that had been put on hold due to the ongoing conflict.
Last month, both Disney and Netflix published job postings for AI experts, although the specific nature of the roles and responsibilities was not disclosed. However, Disney’s plans may have now come to light.
According to an anonymous source cited by Reuters, Disney has formed a taskforce to explore how AI can be applied to reduce costs across various departments within the company. In addition, the company has posted 11 job openings for various positions, whether in their filmmaking studios or theme parks. This taskforce was reportedly established prior to the start of the strikes, demonstrating Disney’s intention to stay ahead of technological advancements and maximize their utilization.
One source revealed that the studio’s main focus is on cost reduction for high-budget movies like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and The Little Mermaid, aiming to make these films financially viable even without the need for excessively high box office earnings.
Disney has already employed AI technology in certain Marvel Cinematic Universe projects. Earlier this month, the company faced criticism when background actors from the series WandaVision revealed they had been scanned during shooting without being informed about how their images would be used. During the actors’ strike, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) proposed the possibility of using AI to scan background actors, paying them for only one day of work and subsequently using their images without their presence on set. This led to speculation that Disney attempted to apply this approach to WandaVision.
Furthermore, when Secret Invasion premiered, Disney received backlash for utilizing artificial intelligence in the show’s opening sequence. However, the conflict was later clarified by the associated studio Marvel, which explained that AI was used by the hired artists to enhance the sequence’s visual aesthetic, aligning it with the show’s theme.
By forming an AI taskforce, Disney aims to leverage the potential of AI technology to reduce expenses, ensuring the profitability of their high-budget movies and enhancing efficiency across their operations. The incorporation of AI in the entertainment industry continues to evolve, and it remains to be seen how regulations and ethical considerations will shape its application in the future.
