By Debra Kaufman
Is ChatGPT taking over Hollywood? AI inroads into M&E was the focus of discussion at HPA NET's May 2 gathering at the Universal Sheraton. Subject matter experts helmed ten roundtables, posing provocative questions and keeping the sold-out crowd buzzing into the evening.
Although these tools have been part of the industry for the past several years, 2022's spectacular breakthroughs, including DALL-E, which creates pictures from language prompts and ChatGPT, a natural language processing tool, made this the perfect time to explore the topic. All the major tech companies - think Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft - are deeply invested in pushing AI forward. Evidence of that is a recent research report, published by Microsoft, that reported that its new AI system was showing signs of artificial general intelligence (AGI) which, says The New York Times, is shorthand for a machine that can do anything the human brain can do.
In Hollywood, artificial intelligence has inserted itself into nearly every workflow. Results have largely been laudatory, but also sparked fears of job loss and other potential negative impacts. Witness the writers' strike, in part motivated by the concern that ChatGPT-like AI tools will replace writers. That was the focus of the table led by showrunner Jack Dolgen and director C. Craig Patterson, who addressed why AI writing will always need the human touch.
Actors have also been impacted by AI for some time. In the mid-2000s AI tools were used to de-age actors, and later to create fully digital versions of deceased actors, such as Star Wars' Carrie Fisher and Fast & Furious star Paul Walker. Now, actors, musicians and other performers are routinely scanned (sometimes at the behest of the studios producing franchises they star in) for future use - an asset that can be legally inherited by their heirs. Tom Hanks recently told The Adam Buxton Podcast on BBC that he'll be able to act forever, as a combination of AI and deepfake technology. I hosted a table to discuss the issues that arise with both synthetic actors and deepfakes.
Artificial intelligence, in combination with other technologies such as CGI, has already had an impact on pre-production with previsualization and remote location scouting and casting. Like Minded Labs Director of Solutions Matt Herson, who led the table Pixel Pioneers: Unleashing the Future of Pre-Viz with AI-Driven Workflow, explored the implications of these technological developments.
On the set, virtual production has been boosted by generative AI. In Virtual Producer, journalist Noah Kadner reports on Cuebric, which debuted in January this year with production company XR Studios, and now brings generative AI technology to filmmakers and creatives.
Visual effects, post production and distribution also have plenty of complicated and labor-intensive processes that are already benefiting from AI, a trend that is only likely to expand over time. Three HPA NET tables focused discussion on these topics: Light Iron workflow manager Justin Potter on AI in DI, Colourlab color scientist/CEO/founder Dado Valentic on finishing, and Evercast chief strategy officer JP Castel on AI's impact on metadata collection.
AI tools also offer solutions for decision-making, such as Cinelytic, in use at Warner Bros. Studios, Sony Pictures, Ingenious Media, Productivity Media and STX Entertainment. Fox Entertainment director of post production and technology Payton List hosted a roundtable on The Pros and Cons of AI: a Studio Perspective and Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) program director Yves Bergquist led a discussion on how to insert generative AI into creative organizations.
In addition to Cinelytic, other AI startups offering decision-making tools to Hollywood executives include ScriptBook, which predicts a movie's success by analyzing its script; Vault, which predicts which demographics will watch films by tracking how trailers are received online; and Pilot, offering box office forecasts up to 18 months before films launch.
How real are all these claims? Will movies be made entirely by algorithms? Will people lose jobs if these tools are implemented, gain new ones focused on managing AI, or both? HPA NET will continue to host conversations exploring these questions and concerns and others as the role of AI in the industry continues to evolve.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
06/07/2026
Long-developed relationships and informal access, three production models, and c...
06/07/2026
The deal follows Lumine's recent acquisition of Synamedia's video-networ...
06/07/2026
This former SportsCenter producer is shaping local-team studio coverage to surro...
06/07/2026
IMS Productions and FOX Sports deployed more than 100 cameras, 32 onboard feeds,...
06/07/2026
Lumine Group Inc. has announced the completion of its acquisition of the Video Network Business from Synamedia. The business will operate as a standalone compan...
06/07/2026
NASCAR has announced a content and commercial partnership with Motorsport Network, a motorsports and automotive media platform, to distribute NASCAR original co...
06/07/2026
Versant Media Group has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Full Swing, a sports technology company, from Bruin Capital and a group of minority investor...
06/07/2026
DAZN has announced global broadcast rights to 3ICE, a professional hockey format featuring three skaters and a goalkeeper per side, with no power plays or offsi...
06/07/2026
Bundle gains 100 new synths & more
Synth Anthology 5 the largest and most feature-packed edition of UVI's hardware synth emulation bundle, bringing toge...
06/07/2026
Available now via free firmware update
MOTU have just announced that three of their popular audio interfaces now boast official Milan Certification. The 16A...
06/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz completes Hunter Preliminary Design Review for the Integrated Co...
06/07/2026
The R&S IMAGER from Rohde & Schwarz uses millimeter wave imaging to inspect the ...
06/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
06/07/2026
Digital Domain Appoints Industry Veteran Patrick Davenport as Executive Vice Pre...
06/07/2026
Gravity Media USA appoints Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development
Brie Clayton July 6, 2026
0 Comments
The strategic new appointment supports...
06/07/2026
Remote Editing Without Cloud Storage in Resolve
Michael Cioni July 6, 2026
0 Comments
This is a step-by-step guide that demonstrates how to setup your...
06/07/2026
Automatic Caption Translation in Adobe Premiere Pro
Colin Smith July 6, 2026
0 Comments
Here I showcase the innovative automatic caption translation f...
06/07/2026
Flavor's First Ever Managing Director Neal Cohen Retires; Longstanding Execu...
06/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Medtech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might think...
06/07/2026
Zhongyi Optics unveils the Dreamy Zone T1 FF Cine Lens Series on Indiegogo with ...
06/07/2026
Techtel debuts insyght: making ST 2110 media discovery easy
intellisphereinsyght2026
6 July Written By Suzanne Costello
Sydney, Australia - 06 July 2026 T...
06/07/2026
Monday 6 July 2026
Sky agrees to acquire ITV Media & Entertainment, creating a ...
06/07/2026
Fresh from his World Cup heroics with Cabo Verde, Roberto Pico' Lopes will join the RT panel for Argentina v Egypt tomorrow and for the England v Norway q...
06/07/2026
Nations have long invested in domestic infrastructure to advance their economies, protect and use their data, and take advantage of technology opportunities in ...
06/07/2026
Every year, the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML) reveals where thousands of AI researchers have decided to put their work.
This year's ...
06/07/2026
A death can be unsuspicious, but it has to be explained
What happened to Ke...
05/07/2026
We've gone to another level of integrating the graphics into the set architecture' - Zac Fields, SVP, Graphic Technology and Integration, FOX Sports...
05/07/2026
Browser-based and desktop apps available
Digital Sunset Studios have been busy working on an interesting project: a free software tool that provides compute...
04/07/2026
When Canada qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, OneSoccer knew this wasn'...
04/07/2026
Celebrates company's 80th anniversary
Rhodes have recently revealed that they will be producing a limited run of electric pianos in celebration of their...
04/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Cameras Empower Youth Broadcasting Program
Brie Clayton July 3, 2026
0 Comments
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro and Blackmagi...
04/07/2026
iZotope Joins Boris FX
Boris Yamnitsky July 3, 2026
0 Comments
iZotope, the team behind RX and Ozone, is joining Boris FX. A letter from founder Boris...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
03/07/2026
New bundle & three Single Packs
Continuing to expand their already sizeable orchestral collection, VSL's latest release introduces three new Single Pack...
03/07/2026
Venue installs new ATC-equipped control room
LSO St Luke's, a unique music venue that also serves as the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, have rec...
03/07/2026
Caden Pearson appointed new Commissioning Editor for NITV
3 July, 2026
Media releases
National Indigenous Television (NITV) has strengthened its commitment...
03/07/2026
1 February 2023
SHARE Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email
Munich, Germany, 1st February 2023: Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software technology for digit...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Death Star
Andy Marken July 2, 2026
0 Comments
Look, I can't get involved. I've got work to do. It's not that I like the Empire; I hate i...
03/07/2026
Berklee's New Visual Identity: Honoring Our History, Building for What's...
03/07/2026
Scripps Research scientists awarded $2M to advance global disease surveillance Two Gates Foundation grants will expand wastewater surveillance and AI-driven dis...
03/07/2026
Joan Pulupa joins Scripps Research faculty to study the organization of DNA in brain cells and its links to neurodegeneration Using smell-sensing neurons and ad...
02/07/2026
Entering her senior year, this hometown girl is paving a career in live sports production gaining experience in replay and audio and as a TD
In the live-sports...
02/07/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
By Debra Kaufman
