David Ellison, currently leading Paramount and soon to take the helm at Warner Bros., expresses considerable optimism regarding the potential of artificial intelligence in the film industry. Far from suggesting that AI will supersede human filmmakers, Ellison believes this advanced technology can accelerate the production process and empower creators to “tell better stories.”
In an interview with Deadline, Ellison articulated his perspective on AI: “What I think you’re going to see fundamentally enabled by artificial intelligence and these sorts of model-based GPU [graphics processing unit] pipelines that are being created, is that it’s actually going to help you tell better stories because you’re going to be able to iterate faster. If you can make the movie 15 times, 20 times, get that audience feedback, you’re going to be able to tell better stories that entertain your audience.”
Ellison drew a parallel with Pixar’s philosophy of “failing as fast as possible.” While Pixar traditionally relies on human insight to gauge audience reception, Ellison envisions a future where AI could assist filmmakers in this iterative process. By rapidly generating and testing various ideas, AI could help identify successful concepts more quickly. While the impact on the nuanced artistic process of filmmaking remains to be seen, this approach certainly holds the promise of significantly speeding up production timelines.