Alphabet and Meta in discussions with Hollywood for AI partnership

Alphabet and Meta, two tech giants, are currently in talks with major Hollywood studios for potential partnerships involving their artificial intelligence (AI) video generation software. According to Bloomberg, these discussions could lead to licensing content and are estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars. The companies are working on technology that can generate realistic scenes from text prompts, a capability that has caught the attention of Hollywood.

Hollywood studios are interested in leveraging AI technology to reduce costs while maintaining control over their content. However, concerns have been raised about providing content to tech firms without retaining control over its usage. This issue was highlighted when actor Scarlett Johansson objected to OpenAI using a voice similar to hers for its chatbot after declining a collaboration offer.

The financial implications of these potential partnerships are significant. News Corp recently agreed to let OpenAI use content from its publications in a deal worth over $250 million over five years. Warner Bros Discovery is also considering licensing some of its programs for AI model training, albeit for specific divisions and not its entire library.

AI technology is already making waves in Hollywood production, with filmmakers like Tyler Perry and Robert Zemeckis utilizing AI for various purposes. Despite the excitement surrounding AI advancements, concerns about its impact on labor have been raised, especially following last year’s strike by actors and writers. The music industry has taken a hard line against AI use, with Universal Music Group and Sony Music Group issuing warnings and taking legal action to protect their artists’ work.