At the Cannes Film Festival, the talk of the town is the AI chatbot ChatGPT, which has caused a stir in the industry with its potential to revolutionize the film world. Experts liken the breakthrough to the Industrial Revolution, and anticipate advancements in script writing, voice acting, and scene analysis — all made possible by artificial intelligence.
The fear is that these advancements may replace human assistant roles, however, many still believe a human director’s touch will remain essential. The technology is being used to generate ideas, create characters and backstories, and even market and distribute films, and it is pushing the limits of creativity in the industry.
Deepfake is another form of AI technology used in filmmaking. This face-swapping tech is capable of accurately replicating a celebrity’s likeness in order to de-age them, as seen with Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. There is also conjecture that the same tech could be used to keep certain roles going even after a star’s death, as Tom Hanks suggested.
Meanwhile, Metaphysic, the AI firm behind Deepfake Tom Cruise, is taking deepfakes to the next level by creating hyper-real versions of Elvis Presley and Simon Cowell. This progress is exciting filmmakers, however, the potential for abuse has become a source of worry. Company founder Tom Graham recommends locking down one’s biometric data to ensure that rights and privacy are respected.
Also, ElevenLabs in Poland is offering AI voices that seem indistinguishable from human speech. Not only is this new technology capable of cleaning up accents, it also allows directors to preview a scene’s sound and find out what resonates with consumers. And the best part is, voice actors can now license their voices and make money by doing multiple projects at once.
In conclusion, AI technology is changing the landscape of the film industry but this comes with a certain level of responsibility to guard the rights of the people involved. It is crucial to enforce the setting of boundaries in terms of use and ownership over a person’s data. As long as it is done responsibly, this wave of technology can do wonders to the entertainment industry by producing high-quality projects and giving more agency to the people involved.
