Generative AI media is transforming content creation in remarkable ways, but how many of us understand what it is? This large language model-based branch of artificial intelligence involves systems that generate content—text, images, music, and more—based on vast amounts of existing data. For instance, OpenAI's GPT-4, trains on over a trillion existing data points, learns patterns, and uses this knowledge to produce outputs that feel both fresh and familiar.

Generative AI doesn’t actually create something completely new. It's more like its generating  something  different based  upon  what it  knows  is most  likely  the next  value  or pixel  in  the output  that  we've requested. When a user enters a text prompt into ChatGPT, it processes the prompt and generates coherent text by predicting what should come next.

This technology is significantly impacting industries worldwide, particularly entertainment. In Hollywood, generative AI has become a crucial topic, igniting last year’s SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild strikes. Content creators, writers, and special effects artists are all experimenting with AI, even if they don't openly discuss it. The technology evokes a mix of excitement and apprehension about its potential to alter traditional roles and workflows.

Actors, for example, are concerned that AI might replace them or at least their digital likenesses. Scarlett Johansson alleging that OpenAI, knowingly and without her consent, created a chatbot in her voice to capitalize on her role of a sentient AI system in the movie Her serves as an ironic, life imitating art case in point and a harbinger of the fraught road ahead.

Musicians, often the first to feel the impact of technological changes, initially reacted with caution to the burgeoning ubiquity of the tech. However, many, like Grimes, have begun embracing AI. Grimes, for instance, launched a platform allowing fans to use her music to create new content, ensuring proper credit and compensation.

The use of generative AI in Hollywood is not just limited to creating content. It also includes enhancing and modifying existing work. Earlier this summer, at an event called "AI on the Lot," which brought together hundreds of Hollywood's top content creators, writers, and special effects artists, there was an open acknowledgment that AI is being used extensively. Many attendees admitted to experimenting with AI behind closed doors, often due to fears of public backlash or industry regulations. A recent example is the controversy over movie posters generated using AI for the movie Civil War. The posters created scenes that were not in the movie, leading to significant negative press and concerns about transparency and the displacement of human artists.

Generative AI's influence varies across different segments of the entertainment industry. Actors fear it threatens their core craft, while athletes, who are less likely to be replaced by AI on the field, view it with more optimism. Athletes see potential in using AI to synthesize large amounts of gameplay data and generate new content involving their publicity rights, creating opportunities for passive income. The entertainment industry's response to AI is shaped by these varying perspectives and the specific challenges each segment faces.

The apprehension surrounding generative AI is not unfounded. There is a historical precedent for such fears. The rise of Napster in the late 1990s is a prime example. Napster revolutionized how people discovered and shared music, bypassing traditional distribution channels and allowing users to freely share music files. While this empowered music lovers, it created significant legal challenges and concerns about artist compensation. Artists and the music industry struggled to adapt to this new model, which disrupted the established order.

In response, iTunes emerged, offering a legal framework for music distribution. iTunes provided a platform where users could legally purchase music, balancing consumer access with fair compensation for artists. Although not perfect, it represented a step toward resolving the issues that Napster had brought to the forefront. The iTunes model showed that it was possible to find a middle ground that respected the rights of creators while embracing new technology.

Today, generative AI media is at a similar crossroads. It promises to unlock new creative possibilities while raising important questions about intellectual property and fair compensation. The entertainment industry is grappling with these issues, striving to find a balance that benefits all stakeholders. This involves not only technological innovation but also ethical considerations. There is a growing consensus on the need for consent, credit, and compensation for those whose work contributes to AI-generated content.

Finding a solution requires open dialogue and collaboration among all parties involved. Transparency between creators, AI developers, and stakeholders is crucial. There needs to be an acknowledgment that these models were built in a way that wasn't always fair to the original creators. Moving forward, it is essential to ensure that new frameworks are established that respect the rights of all parties involved. At Official AI we believe in creating an ecosystem for authenticity that empowers talent, brands, and audiences to verify synthetic media to ensure it not only mimics reality but enhances it.

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