philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

‘Divergent’ Producer Launches AI Company That Aims to Make Studio-Quality Movies for $500,000

... Staircase touts its own proprietary AI workflow, ForwardMotion, which claims to be able to produce near-studio-quality movie releases for under $500,000 each. The studio, which said it aims to produce around 30 low budget projects in the next three to four years, unveiled a teaser with the first five minutes from its debut feature, The Woman With Red Hair, directed by Brett Stuart and from Michael Schatz’s 2016 Black List script. ...

“After packaging and selling 150 projects into the studio system over the past 15 years, I’ve borne witness to far too much inefficiency to continue the status quo. Over the past year, I’ve dedicated myself to pairing ethical AI usage with our industry’s most underutilized assets–overlooked stories waiting to be produced from fantastic writers and directors,” Shahbazian, whose producer credits include Greg Berlanti’s Love Simon and Shawn Levy and Eric Heisserer’s Shadow & Bone, said in a statement. ...

See the full story here: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/divergent-producer-pouya-shahbazian-1236153574/

John Gaeta’s Escape AI Launches Alternative Oscars For AI Filmmakers

... This weekend, Escape AI will host its first-ever Escape Awards, an AI-centric film festival and awards show, set one day before the Motion Picture Academy’s Oscars. Instead of industry insiders, voting is exclusively done by Escape’s 200+ creators, forming a peer-driven recognition system. It’s a bold counterpoint to traditional awards, which have struggled to define AI’s role in filmmaking. ...

Escape.AI functions as a curated platform for these new-age filmmakers. With nearly 1,000 projects uploaded, its peer-driven model helps surface standout work without the noise of YouTube or social media algorithms. ...

Categories reflect the unique nature of AI-driven filmmaking, recognizing achievements in generative storytelling, AI-assisted animation, and game-engine-based cinematics. The winners—selected by their peers—will have their films showcased to a broader audience, positioning Escape as the go-to hub for next-gen storytelling. ...

“The modern creator isn’t limited to one format,” he says, describing how today’s storytellers are blending film, interactive media, and generative AI. Escape AI is not competing with Hollywood—it’s building something new alongside it. ...

See the full story here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/charliefink/2025/02/28/john-gaetas-escape-ai-launches-alternative-oscars-for-ai-filmmakers/

Brian May fears it’s ‘too late’ to stop AI from destroying the music industry

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The 77-year-old music legend starkly warned that if they are not stopped in their tracks, it will become impossible for artists to be able to “afford to make music”.

Speaking to the Daily Mail as part of their campaign against the Labour government's proposed AI law changes, May said: “My fear is that it’s already too late – this theft has already been performed and is unstoppable, like so many incursions that the monstrously arrogant billionaire owners of Al and social media are making into our lives. The future is already forever changed.

“But I applaud this campaign to make the public aware of what is being lost. I hope it succeeds in putting a brake on, because if not, nobody will be able to afford to make music from here on in.” ...

See the full story here: https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-535776-8-.htm

Discourse About the AI Race is Devolving into Clash of Civilizations Nonsense

"I think the real lesson, a more profound one, is that we are at war with China. We are in an AI arms race," said Shyam Sankar, the Chief Technology Officer at Palantir, on a call with Wall Street analysts earlier this month. But this race, it turns out for many, is not just about national security; it’s also a battle for the future of human progress, one in which the Chinese must lose. ...

Americans are urged to consider not only the consequences of Beijing achieving technological supremacy but also the influence it will gain in setting cultural norms. Somehow, the conversation has shifted from ensuring responsible oversight of AI to justifying abandoning safeguards in the name of outpacing China—whatever the cost. ...

The discussion of how AI models are trained and how their parameters reflect the values of their developers is worthwhile. It raises important questions about the perspectives and identities represented in model data and development, and the potential for culturally specific harms as well as safeguards. But when the conversation devolves into clash-of-civilizations nonsense, we’ve lost the plot. The deeper the discussion sinks into the ‘us vs. them’ framing, the more it obscures the real priority: ensuring AI development serves people—regardless of whether they are American, Chinese, or anyone else. ...

AI moguls have aligned themselves with the Trump administration, a mutually beneficial arrangement to further their own accumulation of wealth with national security priorities. ...

See the full story here: https://www.techpolicy.press/discourse-about-the-ai-race-is-devolving-into-clash-of-civilizations-nonsense/

How Will AI Impact Arts and Entertainment in 2025?

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AI as a Creative Collaborator: From Scriptwriting to Sound Design

... Imagine a screenwriter struggling with writer’s block. They could use an AI tool to generate different plot options, suggest dialogue variations, or even create entire scenes based on a given prompt. This doesn’t diminish the screenwriter’s role; instead, it empowers them to overcome creative hurdles and explore a wider range of possibilities.  ...

This collaborative approach will likely become the norm in 2025. ...

Personalized Entertainment ...

The rise of AI companionship also raises interesting, and sometimes unsettling, questions about the future of human connection and its interplay with art and entertainment. Apps like HeraHaven, which offer AI-powered “girlfriend” experiences, exemplify this trend. While these apps are currently marketed primarily for companionship, their underlying technology could be adapted for entertainment purposes. Imagine interacting with a fictional character powered by AI, capable of engaging in dynamic conversations, remembering past interactions, and even evolving its personality based on your relationship. This blurring of the lines between reality and virtual interaction is something we’ll be grappling with increasingly in 2025.

Ethical and Economic Implications ...

The NoHo Arts District, a vibrant hub of creativity, will likely be at the forefront of these discussions. How will local artists adapt to the changing landscape? Will AI tools become essential for survival in the competitive entertainment industry? Will new art forms emerge that are uniquely suited to the capabilities of AI? These are questions that artists, policymakers, and the community as a whole will need to address. ...

See the full story here: https://nohoartsdistrict.com/how-will-ai-impact-arts-and-entertainment-in-2025/

Could Artificial General Intelligence Adoption Start a Civil War in America?

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The bitter irony that educated elites could be rendered obsolete by the advanced technologies that they once hailed may well inspire a sense of just desserts, especially among the workers who have long borne the heavy cost of “technological progress.” But however much one may be tempted to relish the misfortunes of the well-to-do, the political repercussions of such an outcome are potentially catastrophic for the entire country.

Political scientist Peter Turchin has provided the most thorough explanation of why a collapse in elite employment could be disastrous.  Turchin’s research, which builds on the work of George Mason University political scientist Jack Goldstone, shows that the combination of popular immiseration and elite overproduction has often resulted in a breadown of the state. Popular immiseration is when non-elites (bottom 90% of income earners) experience stagnating or declining living standards.  Immiseration raises discontent, lowers trust in the government, and elevates the potential for anti-system political mobilization. Elite overproduction is when the supply of positions that support an elite lifestyle is greatly outnumbered by aspirants to those positions. Because elites have access to resources and networks in key sectors of state power, including the military, government, and economy, their opposition to the state can pose a serious threat. Frustrated elites can become "counter elites" who exploit popular grievances to lead rebellions or revolutions against authorities. Turchin and Goldstone grimly warn that in past societies facing such predicaments, about 75% of the cases resulted in some sort of political collapse, such as civil war or revolution. ...

 Technological innovation has almost always had an “alignment” problem in this sense: some groups have invariably gained while others lost. The advent of AGI will differ only in the identities of the potential gainers and losers. The promise of super productivity through widespread adoption of AGI could well be a boon to mankind. But without a careful consideration of the potential costs, the potential for disaster suggests more thought is urgently needed to better understand the technology’s attendant risks, as well as its promised opportunities.

See the full story here: https://smallwarsjournal.com/2025/02/25/could-artificial-general-intelligence-adoption-start-a-civil-war-in-america/

AI Entertainment Studio Promise Acquires Tech-Centric Film School Curious Refuge (Exclusive)

Promise, the entertainment studio that launched last year with a mandate to build a slate of films and series produced with the help of generative artificial intelligence tools, has made its first acquisition.

The studio, led by CEO George Strompolos, has acquired Curious Refuge, an AI film school that hosts online courses and real-life meetups, workshops and partnerships meant to teach film students, filmmakers and others in the entertainment ecosystem how to use AI tools in their work. ...

“The reality is, these are a new set of skills, and there aren’t that many people that have these skills yet,” he continued. “And so there’s this need to have production talent who are well versed in what’s possible, in generative AI.”

Caleb Ward, the co-founder of Curious Refuge, says that his company has worked with over 4,000 people from 171 countries since its founding in 2020. ...

Promise believes that Curious Refuge can help build a pipeline of both talent and skills that can help it achieve its goal of becoming a fully-fledged studio. Creators who learn skills from Curious Refuge may be considered for roles on Promise projects, for example. ...

But the central premise of Promise is that gen AI tech can help turbocharge the creation of films, series, and short-form content. But given how fast-moving the technology is, every stakeholder in the industry needs to stay abreast of the latest advancements and how they can fit into the day-to-day work of creative development and production. ...

See the full story here: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/ai-entertainment-studio-promise-acquires-ai-film-school-curious-refuge-1236142985/

Understanding the Eye in AI

... When the eyes are open, it is estimated that vision accounts for two-thirds of the electrical activity of the brain. In addition, 80% of what we learn is accomplished through visual processing of information. This means that replicating the eye, digitally as a cobotic communications modem, is central to the development of human-robot integration. Given the dominance of vision and use of the digital eye as a gateway to all the senses, one can easily imagine the nature of cooperative robotics and the cobotic connection. Humans, AI, and cobots are synergistic. ...

See the full story here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-media-psychology-effect/202502/understanding-the-eye-in-ai

VFX Giant MPC and Parent Company Technicolor May Shut Down Amid ‘Severe Financial Challenges’

... According to the text of the notice, obtained by Variety, “Technicolor has been facing severe financial challenges. Despite exhaustive efforts — including restructuring initiatives, discussions with potential investors, and exploring acquisition opportunities — we have been unable to secure a viable path forward. Unfortunately, this leaves us with no alternative but to acknowledge that the Company may be forced to foreclose.” Another portion reads, “If no viable solution is found, we may be required to cease our U.S. operations as early as Monday, February 24, 2025.” ...

See the full story here: https://variety.com/2025/film/global/technicolor-vfx-mpc-shutter-severe-challenges-1236316354/

Interview: Andrew Ng warns China’s open source AI could undermine US lead

... AI is similar to entertainment in that it reflects the values of the country that develops its underlying software. If China continues advancing its AI through open-source technology while the U.S. maintains its closed model approach, AI systems worldwide will increasingly incorporate Chinese values. If the U.S. and other nations do not respond collectively to China’s open-source AI strategy, China will sooner or later dominate the AI supply chain.” ...

How far has Chinese AI caught up with the U.S.?

... Alibaba’s AI model, Qwen, has made remarkable progress over the past year, particularly in video generation. Many teams I work with are already using Qwen for visual tasks.” ...

Are there other AI fields in which China has an advantage?

“Even before the rise of generative AI, China was ahead of the U.S. in surveillance technology. The Chinese government actively supported the development of surveillance AI, whereas many U.S. companies were reluctant due to privacy concerns and regulations. As a result, many countries purchase surveillance systems from China rather than the U.S., meaning their software is more aligned with Chinese values than those of liberal democracies. The U.S. and its allies have already lost their chance to lead in this area.” ...

Some fear that AGI poses an existential threat to humanity. (Geoffrey Hinton, the 2024 Nobel Prize winner in physics and a renowned AI expert, warned that there is a 10% to 20% chance AI will lead to human extinction in 30 years.)

“My advice to those people is to learn to code or understand how AI works. In the future, the most valuable skill will be the ability to communicate with AI effectively. Just as people had to learn how to search the web when the internet first took off, AI literacy will be essential.” ...

See the full story here: https://www.chosun.com/english/people-en/2025/02/21/Q7QTJADPIRCEFL4Z5G24YRE3JU/