The week's developments on the intersection of AI and creative content | 10.10.23

If you’re enjoying this briefing, sign up here — and share it with a friend. Reading time: ~5 minutes

Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP picked up pace this week and both sides strive for a resolution. Meanwhile, the rising fear that AI might eclipse human creativity has driven digital rights group Fight for the Future to initiate the #AIdayofaction campaign. Its mission? To lobby congress to prevent corporations from securing copyrights for AI created artworks.

Paramount posted Mean Girls on TikTok, stirring concerns among the WGA about how compensation structures might evolve for the film industry's core creators and performers in a TikTok-driven era.

Explore these topics — and the latest details from Spotify’s AI Supremium subscription plan, to Scorsese’s message to young filmmakers — in the CogX Must Reads.

I hope you enjoy it!

—Charlie & the Research & Intelligence team

P.S. Did you miss some of the sessions at the festival? The CogX Festival 2023 is now available on demand! Watch inspiring sessions on the future of work, AI and leadership from the likes of Yuval Noah Harari, Stephen Fry and Steven Bartlett on our YouTube channel now.

CogX Must Reads

Top Stories

Consulting giant finds low performers benefit most from AI

A BCG study found that consultants applying AI correctly benefitted from its use — but AI allowed lower performers to close the gap with their high-performing peers. This suggests that companies which invest in teaching employees how to use AI effectively will reap the benefits. (Business Insider)

Meta paid £149 million to break its central London lease

They are the latest large corporation to cut back on office space amid the post-pandemic boom in hybrid work. The decision comes just two years after committing to rent; analysts say the payment represents seven years of rent against the 18 Meta committed to. (The Guardian)

Industry

Scorsese urges young filmmaker to embrace tech 

Director Martin Scorsese encouraged young filmmakers to harness new technology for "serious" cinematic projects. He emphasised the evolving nature of creative freedom within cinema, differentiating between fleeting "content" and deeply enriching films. (Guardian) 

French cinema rises up against AI

French cinema and culture unions have petitioned their government to safeguard intellectual property from the perceived threats of AI, following the recent formation of France’s first "Committee on Generative Artificial Intelligence". (ScreenDaily)

Thought Provoking

The controversy of TikTok movies

Mean Girls was recently posted onto TikTok by Paramount, echoing the recent popularity in movieclip-tok. Whilst the move was promotional, it has raised concerns within the WGA about the future of fair compensation for writers, directors and actors. (Washington Post)

Is plot the best way to judge a movie?

Beatrice Loayza challenges the overwhelming emphasis on "story" as the primary measure of a film's worth in Hollywood. Loayza highlights how the term has become privileged and equated with movies, despite cinema's vast potential to offer sensory experiences, moods, and temporal distortions. (New York Times)

Music

Spotify to launch 'Supremium' subscription tier

Spotify is gearing up to introduce a 'Supremium' subscription tier, priced at £16.33 — double its current premium cost. The new tier will offer lossless audio, a feature Apple Music provides at no additional charge, plus advanced listening statistics, innovative AI playlist generation tools, and a novel audiobook feature. (NME)

Songwriters say AI is not to be feared

Award winning songwriters claim that whilst AI is making waves in music, the unique touch, emotion, and experience that human artists bring to their work is irreplaceable. AI can be a tool, but it should not and cannot be the sole creator of music. (BBC)

Quote of the Week

"These recreations are, at their very best, a poor facsimile of greater people... but at their worst, a horrendous Frankensteinian monster, cobbled together from the worst bits of everything this industry is, instead of what it should stand for"

- Zelda Williams on AI recreations of her late father, Robin Williams

In case you missed it

Hear from an expert panel, on the ethical dilemmas that arises with tech infused cinema, from consent and fair-compensation to diversity and deep-fakes, at the CogX Festival 2023.

✍️ Enjoying this newsletter?  Subscribe to our free weekly briefings on Preparing for AI, Cinema & AI, The Race to Net Zero, AI & DeepTech and The Future of Work.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, legal or tax advice.