A whole new world
While the film industry continues to deal with the newer capabilities of AI, Disney has figured that it could possibly make a friend out of the threatening technology. Deadline has reported that the House of Mickey Mouse has now partnered with OpenAI by signing a staggering $1 billion investment into the company. This deal means that Disney will be granting the use of their characters from their popular properties, like Frozen or Star Wars, to be available in the generative video program Sora. OpenAI now has a three-year licensing agreement and fans can now make AI videos featuring characters like Captain America, Yoda or Moana for videos and a number of them will even be streamed on Disney+.
Be Prepared
On the Disney side of the deal, they will now be utilizing a lot of the benefits of AI technology. The studio will start using the tech to build new products, tools, and experiences, including for Disney+, as well as issuing ChatGPT for its employees.
Disney’s CEO, Bob Iger, stated, “Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works. Bringing together Disney’s iconic stories and characters with OpenAI’s groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we’ve never seen before, giving them richer and more personal ways to connect with the Disney characters and stories they love.”
Meanwhile, Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, also added, “This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences.”
A recent take on AI
Leonardo DiCaprio was recently crowned Time’s Entertainer of the Year, and while he was speaking with the publication, he gave his perspective, which was that the technology can be cool, but also waning in relevance. He explained, “It could be an enhancement tool for a young filmmaker to do something we’ve never seen before. I think anything that is going to be authentically thought of as art has to come from the human being. Otherwise — haven’t you heard these songs that are mashups that are just absolutely brilliant and you go, ‘Oh my God, this is Michael Jackson doing The Weeknd,’ or ‘This is funk from the A Tribe Called Quest song “Bonita Applebum,” done in, you know, a sort of Al Green soul-song voice, and it’s brilliant.’ And you go, ‘Cool.’ But then it gets its 15 minutes of fame and it just dissipates into the ether of other internet junk. There’s no anchoring to it. There’s no humanity to it, as brilliant as it is.”
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