A. Guttmann
Research Lead covering media
AI use in media and entertainment - statistics & facts
There is no better space for testing the boundaries of technology than the media and entertainment environment. Especially when it comes to moviemaking, film studios have always entertained audiences with special visual and voice effects. Today, the growing use of artificial intelligence in media is testing these boundaries. All media sectors, from news to filmmaking and audio to gaming, are now intensively looking into making AI work for them, and in some cases, instead of them.
Meanwhile, the use of AI in creative disciplines such as art, photography, and copy editing, to name but a few, is creating concerns among people working these jobs. Some 37 percent of U.S. adults think that there will be fewer jobs available to humans due to the use of AI. Interestingly, younger people feel the emergence of AI is actually creating opportunities for them, while older generations are more pessimistic and worry that AI can replace their skills.
“I’m altering the deal. Pray that I don’t alter it any further.” The future of Darth Vader’s lines spoken with the distinctive voice of James Earl Jones was hanging in the balance, until AI came into the picture. James Earl Jones has signed over rights to his voice recordings from earlier versions of Star Wars and so the voice of Darth Vader will live on with the help of speech-to speech AI machine learning tools. However, one issue remains to be solved – the voice is much younger than the character at this point so Vader’s voice might sound like it’s experiencing something akin to "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".
AI is entering the audio scene as well, with Spotify announcing its AI DJ. Learning through a user's past listening habits, the tool is designed to create entire playlists, with the intention of increasing artist and song discovery opportunities. Additionally, the technology provides narration similar to that of a radio host. Once again, Spotify’s forward-thinking tech acquisitions might prove very beneficial for the company if the AI DJ gains traction.
All in all, AI as we know it is only able to recreate and recycle what humans have made. So far, the technology has been implemented in image production, voice repurposing, copy writing, and animation, but this list is in no way exhaustive. It remains to be seen what other uses people will find for AI, and how it could influence the future of media production and consumption.
AI use in journalism still foggy
The topic of using AI exploded when scores of internet users started experimenting with ChatGPT. The chatbot software created by OpenAI can produce text-based solutions to diverse issues presented to it. In many tests, this specific software was able to produce full-length articles which sparked concerns about the potential spread of disinformation. In fact, survey data shows that more than 78 percent of U.S. adults think news articles created by AI is not a good thing. Nonetheless, newsroom professionals admit that the use of AI could help with automated recommendations, transcription, and newsgathering. Some industry players have already implemented this technology and saw considerable success on the stock exchange thanks to this move. One such example is BuzzFeed who announced they will be using AI for personalization and enhancement of their online quizzes.Limitations and legal concerns of AI use in media
Copyright and licensing is a major topic in context of AI in media. Indeed, many media publishers are seeking to limit the use of their texts as databases for AI learning. AI software manufactures could be facing numerous lawsuits as publishers will be unlikely to license their content for the purpose of machine learning processes. On the other hand, the U.S. copyright office recently ruled that images created by AI software and published in a graphic novel were not subject to copyright laws, arguing that such images are not human-made and intellectual property therefore did not apply in this case.Meanwhile, the use of AI in creative disciplines such as art, photography, and copy editing, to name but a few, is creating concerns among people working these jobs. Some 37 percent of U.S. adults think that there will be fewer jobs available to humans due to the use of AI. Interestingly, younger people feel the emergence of AI is actually creating opportunities for them, while older generations are more pessimistic and worry that AI can replace their skills.
Warped images and distorted voices – AI imperfections
Online media and publishers are already experimenting with replacing journalistic photography with AI-generated pictures. However, many of these experiments have demonstrated that there is still a way to go before this idea can become a reality without compromising on quality, and human involvement remains necessary. If nothing else, people will need to verify the work of AI and perform quality checks.“I’m altering the deal. Pray that I don’t alter it any further.” The future of Darth Vader’s lines spoken with the distinctive voice of James Earl Jones was hanging in the balance, until AI came into the picture. James Earl Jones has signed over rights to his voice recordings from earlier versions of Star Wars and so the voice of Darth Vader will live on with the help of speech-to speech AI machine learning tools. However, one issue remains to be solved – the voice is much younger than the character at this point so Vader’s voice might sound like it’s experiencing something akin to "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".
How can AI shape entertainment and arts?
The use of AI certainly has the capacity to produce mind-bending results in a very short time. However, the true power of AI lies in exactly that – speeding up processes. From the media consumer side, personalized recommendations are particularly popular. Already implemented in video platforms, AI-generated algorithms serve content suggestions based on viewing behavior. In fact, some 28 percent of U.S. consumers cite these as the most common way of movie and TV show discovery.AI is entering the audio scene as well, with Spotify announcing its AI DJ. Learning through a user's past listening habits, the tool is designed to create entire playlists, with the intention of increasing artist and song discovery opportunities. Additionally, the technology provides narration similar to that of a radio host. Once again, Spotify’s forward-thinking tech acquisitions might prove very beneficial for the company if the AI DJ gains traction.
All in all, AI as we know it is only able to recreate and recycle what humans have made. So far, the technology has been implemented in image production, voice repurposing, copy writing, and animation, but this list is in no way exhaustive. It remains to be seen what other uses people will find for AI, and how it could influence the future of media production and consumption.
