Alphabet and Meta are reportedly in negotiations with the leading Hollywood studios, offering millions for the rights to use their content for artificial intelligence (AI) training.
According to a Bloomberg report, the tech giants are seeking rights to movie and TV show snippets to train AI models that can generate realistic videos based on text descriptions. High volumes of high-quality video and audio content are required for training these models, content that is readily available from Hollywood studios.
Hollywood Studios’ Concerns
However, the studios are hesitant about transferring their intellectual property without adequate control over its use. Consequently, the negotiations are currently at a standstill. Though some studios, such as Warner Bros, are open to granting access to some of their content, others like Disney and Netflix refuse direct licensing.
Mutual Interest in Collaboration
Despite the stalemate, there’s interest in collaboration from both sides as potentially lucrative deals are on the line. Notably, News Corp has already signed a $250 million contract with OpenAI for the use of its content.
AI in Film Production
It’s worth noting that many directors, including Tyler Perry and Robert Zemeckis, have successfully employed AI technologies in their film production for special effects and actor rejuvenation. The advancements in tools like Sora by OpenAI now allow creating realistic videos from the simplest text descriptions. Nonetheless, the prospects of full content creation automation trigger concerns about potential job loss in Hollywood. In fact, actors and writers staged a months-long strike last year fearing AI might ‘steal’ their jobs.
The Path Forward
In summary, while tech companies are aggressively pursuing licensing rights, Hollywood studios are cautiously considering such licensing of their intellectual property for AI training. They fear losing control and potential future profits from its use.
