This past summer, Amazon MGM Studios established a specialized AI Studio aimed at creating its own artificial intelligence tools to make television and film production more efficient. The focus includes enhancing character consistency throughout different shots and assisting with both pre-production and post-production tasks.
Based on reporting from Reuters, these tools have now progressed past the stage of internal testing. The company plans to launch a closed beta program in March, where it will invite partners from the industry to test its AI tools.
The company stated it expects to reveal preliminary results from this program by May. When TechCrunch requested additional information, Amazon declined to share further details about these developments.
The AI Studio is working alongside prominent producers including Robert Stromberg, recognized for “Maleficent,” Kunal Nayyar from “The Big Bang Theory,” and Colin Brady, a former Pixar animator, to determine the most effective ways to integrate these tools. Amazon is also utilizing Amazon Web Services for assistance and plans to collaborate with multiple LLM providers.
Albert Cheng, leading the AI Studios project, stressed that the objective is to assist creative teams rather than replace them. The emphasis is on boosting efficiency and cutting costs while safeguarding intellectual property and preventing AI-created content from being incorporated into other AI models. An illustration of this is Amazon’s “House of David” series, which included 350 AI-generated shots in its second season.
Nevertheless, the growing adoption of AI in Hollywood has generated considerable controversy. Numerous industry professionals are concerned about the implications for employment, artistic expression, and filmmaking’s future.
The discussions surrounding AI continue to intensify as additional companies explore these emerging tools. Netflix, for example, has also embraced AI technology, with co-CEO Ted Sarandos disclosing that its series “The Eternaut” utilized generative AI to produce a building collapse scene.
Over recent years, Amazon has pointed to its AI achievements as justification for workforce reductions. The company most recently cut 16,000 jobs in January, after eliminating 14,000 positions the previous October.