Entertainment giant Lionsgate has teamed up with artificial intelligence (AI) company Runway to develop a new AI model using its vast film and TV archive.
Lionsgate, known for hit franchises like The Hunger Games and John Wick, aims to utilize the AI technology for future content production.
Lionsgate’s Vice Chair Michael Burns stated: “Runway will help us utilize AI to develop cutting-edge, capital-efficient content creation opportunities.”
However, details on how the AI will be applied in production remain limited.
This partnership has sparked controversy, especially given the concerns over AI’s role in the entertainment industry, which was a major issue during the 2023 Hollywood actors’ strike. Many fear AI could replace jobs in the creative industry.
Writer and producer Helen Delzany voiced her concerns, saying, “We’re already seeing job loss in the creative industries, and it’s only going to get worse. The greater tragedy is how stale film and entertainment may become.” Actor Alexander Chard echoed similar sentiments on X, stating, “Our words, performances, and direction are merely to feed the machine until we’re no longer needed.”
While many have criticized the partnership as “vile” and “disgusting” on social media, others are more optimistic. Producer PJ Acetturo, CEO of an AI entertainment company, called the collaboration “amazing for the industry,” seeing it as a way to bridge AI and film production.
Runway, however, is facing legal issues.
The company is currently being sued for potential copyright infringement by a group of artists, and a U.S. district judge recently ruled that the firm was part of a group allegedly storing images illegally in AI generation systems.
In June, a London cinema dropped an AI-written film following public backlash, reflecting the ongoing debate about AI’s role in the creative sector.
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