Hollywood: Hollywood vs AI: Disney looks to cut more costs by using artificial intelligence

At a time when Hollywood writers and actors are ‘at war’ with studios and streaming services to limit the use of artificial intelligence technology, a report said that Walt Disney has created a task force to study AI and how it can be applied across the company.

The task force was created before the Hollywood writers’ strike and is looking to develop AI applications in-house as well as form partnerships with startups, Reuters cited three people as saying.

The company has 11 current job openings seeking candidates with expertise in AI or machine learning.
The report also said that the positions to be filled are available from Walt Disney Studios to the company’s theme parks and engineering group, Walt Disney Imagineering, to Disney-branded television and the advertising team, which is looking to build a “next-generation” AI-powered ad system, according to the job ad descriptions.

How AI may help the company?
AI may help the conglomerate to help control the costs of movie and television production. Cost savings would be realised over time, a person said. When it comes to parks business, AI could enhance customer support or create novel interactions, the second source told the news agency.
One of the sources said that Project Kiwi used machine-learning techniques to create Baby Groot, a small, free-roaming robot that mimics the character in “Guardians of the Galaxy”. He said that someday, Baby Groot will interact with guests.

AI existential threat to jobs
It is widely accepted by executives of Google and OpenAI that AI will displace some jobs, but they also believe that new jobs will be created. Hollywood writers and actors, on the other hand, see AI as an existential threat to their jobs.
While actors are concerned that studios may exploit their likenesses and voices without proper compensation or notice, writers say that chatbots may negatively impact their profession.