Artificial Intelligence In the Audiovisual Industry – High-Level Discussion By UNESCO

Industry Insights

by Omri Keren LapidotOctober 29^th, 2023

UNESCO, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization hosted a high-level discussion about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the audio-visual industry. Let’s have a look!

The discussion was held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris and included various high-profile industry leaders (the full program is listed below). The speakers and panelists tried to outline and initiate ethical and legal guidelines regarding the use of AI in filmmaking and adjacent fields. Intellectual property, copyrights, algorithmic bias, diversity, and more politically charged issues were considered based on earlier work done by UNESCO on the topic.

Is AI dehumanizing creativity?

The long and interesting discussion at UNESCO’s AI conference encompassed various subjects and dilemmas. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, addressed issues regarding actors and acting in an AI-enabled industry. He expressed his excitement about new opportunities and his concerns about abuse and malpractice. Crabtree-Ireland pointed out the pioneering position of the film industry in what he described as a pivotal point in human history. The creative community will be the one charting the course between breakthroughs and disruption, exploitation and discoveries. The AI world is now held by a handful of corporations and billionaires who are rewarded for increasing material profits, not for creating and improving the well-being of the masses. Crabtree-Ireland pointed out that AI may be a tool to slash salaries and reduce the workforce, but it can also be used in other ways, which will require law-making and regulations. In his final point, Crabtree-Ireland emphasized the importance of a broad-spectrum discussion, not only about AI but about the corporate greed-based system as a whole.

I find it difficult to speak about “intelligence” when we speak about AI.

Michel Gondry

Gondry, the director of Academy Award winner, “Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind” said he believes that AI is not a replication of human intelligence developed over millions of years. He addressed AI as a powerful tool that may ease or speed work, democratizing it in the process. Gondry also warned against the exploitation of such tools in the hands of studio owners, which would cut writers’ positions and salaries, and he recommended regulation and unions. Sarah Dearing, International Affiliation of Writers Guilds Secretariat, also expressed her concern about devaluing creative labor.

AI has agency

A politically charged statement was given by Joseph McGinty Nichol (AKA McG), an American producer and director of several blockbuster films and TV series. Nichol claimed that AI needs no more than a nod in a certain direction, and it will complete extremely complicated assignments all by itself. That form of action is based on human knowledge and creativity, and as such requires protection. But there’s one thing AI does not have, and could never obtain – “the symbolic halo generated by objects of special significance that is both powerful and indefinite.” (Walter Benjamin, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction). According to Nichol, AI could very easily approximate a piece, a style, etc. but we would not denote value to it. The critical thing is to retain identity, authenticate the actual creative work, and attribute it to the writer.

Democratization of storytelling tools

Cristóbal Valenzuela, co-founder and CEO at Runway, an applied AI research, addressed the issue of democratization. AI technologies granted relatively small studios and companies the ability to compete against the old studios. Valenzuela compares this singular point to the invention of the camera. It may create a brand-new form of artistic medium (although based on existing text, footage, and imagery). This is merely the dawn of AI, and many things must be figured out, but it could be revolutionary.

UNESCO AI discussion – just a glimpse

The ongoing discussion is vast. If you are interested in what may just be a pivotal point in the industry (and history itself), dive into the full recorded discussion above, or into one of our related articles.

Program:

3:00 pm Introduction by moderator Ms. Valériane Gauthier, TV host, France 24

3:05 pm Keynote by Mr. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland / USA (online participation)

National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator – Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA)         

3:20 pm Introduction 

Mr. Rizwan Ahmad / India

Director of the Instructional Media Centre at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU)

Ms. Sarah Dearing / Canada

International Affiliation of Writers Guilds Secretariat

Mr. Michel Gondry / France

Award-winning screenwriter, director, musician, author 

Ms. Ángeles González-Sinde / Spain

Former Minister of Culture of Spain, Vice president of CISAC, award-winning screenwriter, film director 

Mr. Joseph McGinty Nichol / USA 

Director, producer and screenwriter 

Ms. Yvonne Muinde / Kenya (online participation)

Award-winning visual effects artist

Dr. (Ms.) Mathilde Pavis / France

International legal expert in intellectual property, data and ethics

Mr. Cristóbal Valenzuela / Chile (online participation)

Co-founder and CEO at Runway, an applied AI research companyhttps://runwayml.com

4:00pm         Roundtable

4:50pm          Conclusions and closing remarks by Mr. Ernesto Ottone Ramírez

UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture

UNESCO AI discussion – is this the revolution of our time?

The AI revolution is happening right now and might have enormous disruptive effects on human culture, visual perception, and society altogether. It seems like chasing a train that has already left the station long ago, but such important matters cannot be left solely in the hands of tech moguls and software engineers.

How does the AI revolution affect you and your creative workflow? What kind of tools do you use? Do you see a dark dystopian future? Or a bright Utopia? Tell us in the comments!