Walt Disney has created a task force to study the use of artificial intelligence in different areas of its entertainment conglomerate. This includes the development of interactive characters in its parks and special effects in its movies.
The information comes from the British news agency Reuters and comes at a time when screenwriters and actors are on strike, fighting for their rights and for proper regulation of the use of AI in the film industry.
Disney has openings to work with AI
According to Reuters, three sources confirmed that Disney's AI task force started earlier this year, even before the Hollywood screenwriters and actors strike began. However, other indications point to the Mickey's company's interest in further developing artificial intelligence in its activities.
One of them is the fact that 11 vacancies are open for professionals with experience in artificial intelligence or machine learning. The vacancies are for various sectors of the company. These include Walt Disney Imagineering, which is responsible for the design, development and construction of Disney's theme parks.
The vacancies also cover Disney's advertising team, and one of the job postings highlights the intention to build a "next generation" AI-driven advertising system.
A future without AI seems inevitable, but the human factor must not lose its value
One of Reuters' sources, who preferred to remain anonymous, explained that large media companies have to figure out how to work with AI if they don't want to become obsolete. The tool's various functions could cut huge costs in the production of movies and TV shows.
Debates about new technologies versus human labor have always existed during periods of change in different market sectors. However, it is not the use of AI that screenwriters and actors are fighting against in the Hollywood strike. It is against the possible abuse and exploitation of human labor to further amplify the cost reductions that AI can already provide.
According to visual effects supervisors on the latest film in the Indiana Jones franchise, more than 100 artists worked for three years to achieve the rejuvenating effect on actor Harrison Ford. This will change rapidly with the development of AI technologies.
Another point of concern for the strikers is the exploitation of the extras' images to create digital versions. The fear is that these versions could be adapted to other scenes without the actors having to return to the set to film (and get paid for it).
Disney CEO disagrees with strikers' demands
In July, actors joined screenwriters in the largest Hollywood strike since the 1960s. At the time, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the strikers' demands were unrealistic. In an interview with CNBC, the Disney executive said:
"I understand the desire of any labor organization to work on behalf of its members to receive fair compensation based on the value they bring. We were able, as an industry, to negotiate a great deal with the directors' union that reflects the value that directors bring to this great market. We want to do the same with screenwriters, and we'd like to do the same with actors. They have a level of expectation that is unrealistic. And they're adding to the challenges this industry already faces, which is, frankly, very troubling."
Strikes continue to fight for fairer pay, better working conditions and regulation of AI use with limits set and compensation for footage use.
Bob Iger recently renewed his contract with Disney. According to Variety, the CEO will earn up to $27 million in 2023 alone.
Working with AI is nothing new at Disney.
The recent launch of chatbots like ChatGPT and the growth in the use of generative AI for imagery and video assets have drawn a lot of attention to AI. But the use of the technology and the study of its development has not been new to companies like Disney for some time.
According to information on the website of Disney Research in Switzerland, the company has been exploring AI, new visual effects technologies and machine learning for about ten years. Since then, it has been possible to develop "digital humans" described as indistinguishable from their real-life counterparts.
However, the information stresses that the technology is not being used to replace actors, but to increase the accuracy of the use of digital effects. The technology has already been used in more than 40 of the studio's films, including Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
In a statement to Reuters, a former Disney executive said, "The AI research at Disney goes way back and revolves around all the things you see being debated today: can we have something that helps us make movies, games or talking robots inside theme parks that people can talk to?"
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