Hollywood is entering its AI era

Artificial intelligence is a touchy topic in Tinseltown. Rancour over the prospect of so-called generative AI being used to produce scripts and create digital replicas of actors was among the grievances that led to strikes in 2023. Hollywood hotshots have since continued to rail against the technology. Kane Parsons, director of the hit film “Backrooms”, recently said that, if he could, he would “snap my fingers” and make AI “disappear”. Christopher Nolan, creator of a new blockbuster adaptation of “The Odyssey”, describes it as a “Trojan Horse”, arguing that the motives of those championing it should be viewed with scepticism. In May Amazon MGM, a studio, approved an AI-supported animated series called “Punky Duck”. Two days later the director abandoned the project after receiving death threats.