The CEO of Sony Pictures made some statements that made it clear that the studio’s next films will be accompanied by AI.

Sony Pictures has decided to bet heavily on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to power its future movies and TV shows. CEO Tony Vinciquerra confirmed at a recent investor conference in Japan that the studio is “very focused on AI.”

The future of film production with AI

“Primarily, we’re looking at ways to use AI to make movies for cinema and television,” he said. This approach was formulated in the context of negotiations and agreements resulting from last year’s strikes, which will continue to be negotiated by the IATSE and the Teamsters. These talks describe how AI is being used in the industry.

Vincikera’s words did not go unnoticed. The film industry is at a point where technology can dramatically change how content is produced. The main concern of trade unions like IATSE is that tools like OpenAI’s “Sora” could reduce labor demand, affecting workers and talent. The goal of these negotiations is to preserve workers’ rights, as they did for actors and writers following the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike.

What does AI mean for cinema?

The use of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry is not new, but its application is huge. A year ago, DreamWorks founder Jeffrey Katzenberg mentioned that AI could reduce the production costs of a film by up to 90% and require only 50 artists instead of 500.

Sony may be looking to AI for a solution to its recent business failures. Films like Morbius, Madame Web and possibly Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire were not as successful as expected, prompting the company to look for cheaper alternatives.

Public rejection of AI in cinema

Audiences aren’t always receptive to using AI in film. A recent example is Late Night with the Devil, a horror film criticized for its use of AI-generated imagery, which undermined its quality as a film. This begs the question of whether viewers actually notice or care about the technology used in the making of the films.

Dakota Johnson, the star of Madame Web, also expressed concern about the use of AI in the industry. “You can’t make art based on numbers and algorithms,” he commented. Johnson believes that audiences are smart and can always tell the real from the artificial.

Where is the industry headed?

The film industry is at a crossroads. Implementing AI can bring great economic benefits, but it also brings ethical and creative challenges. Johnson’s statement reflected a widespread concern that “even if movies start being made with AI, people won’t want to see those movies.”

However, the challenge for Sony and other studios to cut costs is great. The key is to find a balance that allows the industry to take advantage of the benefits of technology without sacrificing artistic quality and work.

Sony Pictures is laying the groundwork for a future where AI will play a vital role in film and television production. How this decision will affect the industry and how the audience will accept this new way of filmmaking is only a matter of time.

The impact of AI on film production

AI promises to revolutionize the film industry by making it more efficient and cheaper. However, the challenge is to preserve the artistic content that has distinguished cinema for over a century. Current agreements and negotiations will be fundamental to defining this new landscape to ensure that creators and audiences benefit.

The coming years will be crucial to see how artificial intelligence will be integrated into the creative and production process of cinema and if studios can find the perfect formula to combine technology and art without losing the magic of the seventh art.