Eric Barmack writes a smart and practical overview of the current status of AI as a movie production tool. I especially appreciate the fact that he didn’t just discuss how it could be done, he tried to do it.
The result is not better or worse than most short Youtube documentaries, but the cost in labor and skill was considerably less than a fully human documentary of the same size. He states that his own skill level is near zero, thus proving the point. It’s cheaper, and the cheapness should still hold in proportion for more serious efforts by people with more skill.
In comparing with the auto industry he misses one important point, which would actually aid his argument for the solution. He says that Detroit failed to answer automation, and failed to answer the fuel-efficient Toyota.
Automation wasn’t the issue in the 70s, and Toyota didn’t win because it was economical. It wasn’t nearly as efficient as earlier imports like the Renault, which didn’t beat Detroit. Toyota won because it was simply a BETTER car than anything Detroit made. Top quality in every way, and an unforgettably superior driving experience and maintenance experience. In the early 70s I had owned and driven lots of VWs and Renaults, and had driven lots of American cars and trucks. The first time I drove a Toyota, my immediate thought was THIS IS AN AUTOMOBILE. Those other things are no longer automobiles.
If AI can achieve that level of instantly recognizable superiority, Hollywood and the more independent human producers will be out of luck. It’s still not there, but now is the time to drastically improve the watching experience and listening experience. Force the AI monsters to spend more to keep up.
Detroit came back in the late ’80s when it finally brought its quality and driving experience up to Toyota’s standards. Now the US automakers are on an even playing field, superior by some accounts.
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Cultural viewpoint is another area where humans COULD beat AI if they wanted to. AI famously takes the same Luxury Prospect viewpoint as Hollywood. Everything it turns out is carefully filtered to agree 100% with Wall Street and repel normal people. AI probably can’t turn around easily, given the totally biased source of its material and the totally biased programmers and controllers.
Creative humans COULD try to satisfy the viewing experience of Conservative Prospects who favor strong traditional culture. I doubt that they will, but scenes seem to be shifting lately, so it’s not entirely out of the question.
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