The week's developments on the intersection of AI and creative content | 04.12.23

If you’re enjoying this briefing, sign up here — and share it with a friend. Reading time: ~4 minutes

Are you using AI to get ahead at work? If not, your job may be vulnerable — that’s according to a new report exploring how GenAI will change film and TV. One university is teaching its students to do just that with a new course on how to harness AI in music composition, filmmaking and more.

Meanwhile, documentary producers are emphasising the need for AI guardrails to protect content’s historical accuracy. Fake articles and footage, they warn, could change how history is chronicled. And there are new developments in high-profile artists’ class action against AI art generators that could change the direction of companies like Midjourney.

We cover these stories and more in today’s edition — from the latest on how AI is making art history, to why virtual concerts may be the future of entertainment.

—Charlie and the Research and Intelligence Team

🚀 Don't miss your chance to secure your spot at the CogX Festival 2024! A limited number of super early bird tickets are now up for grabs at a 75% discount.

Cinema and Industry

🎥 Documentary producers called for genAI guardrails in an open letter to preserve integrity and historical accuracy. The letter warns that gen-AI content – like fake newspaper articles and archival footage – could distort historical records and erode audience trust. 

🤖 A new report calls on industry leaders and creatives to understand GenAI, cautioning that those who don’t adapt are susceptible to job losses. AI carries risk, it concedes, but also offers unprecedented creative powers to resourced studios and independent creators alike. 

🎼 Future musicians and filmmakers are preparing for AI in the classroom. A new course offered at BIMM University will teach students how to harness AI in music composition and filmmaking. They’ll also study the interaction between AI and human creativity.

📺 Can AI bring back beloved shows? Fans of cancelled shows and movies have long tried to find and make new versions of their favourites. The latest wave of AI tools has made it easier than ever to reimagine series, exemplified by a new “AI-upscaled” Star Trek.

Arts and Entertainment

👩‍⚖️ The copyright case against AI art generators just got stronger. Seven more artists joined a leading lawsuit against companies like Midjourney and DeviantArt. They argue that diffusion models closely replicate original material, which constitutes a misuse of IP.

🎨 MoMA made history with an AI art acquisition. ‘Data painter’ Refik Anadol aims to unite traditional art and tokenised digital artwork. His piece “Unsupervised - Machine Hallucinations” is the museum’s inaugural “living artwork”, integrating NFTs and AI.

📷 Amazon launched an AI image generator that identifies deepfakes. Titan Image Generator will create an invisible watermark on every fake image. The model is currently only available to AWS customers. 

🍿 Are virtual concerts the future of entertainment? Fortnite’s Eminem concert — the game’s fourth in-game musical event — is part of the company's push to position itself as an entertainment platform, rather than simply a game.

In case you missed it

Watch the launch of Atari 50, a reimagined game that celebrates 50 years of the iconic video game:

✍️ 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.