The Chief AI Officer

 

Former YouTube exec Kathleen Grace will be Lionsgate's AI honcho

Most large and mid-sized companies are going to add a new position to their executive ranks: the Chief AI Officer. A person devoted to overseeing the firm's use and adoption of AI.

The Trump Administration has an AI Chief, David Sacks, holding the rank of Senior Advisor to the President. Lionsgate Studios is the first studio to appoint a CAIO, hiring Kathleen Grace, a former YouTube executive, to oversee Lionsgate's AI development; others will follow. 

The job of the CAIO is to build and implement an AI strategy to alter existing production, marketing, distribution, and administrative workflows. 

We're in the early stages of AI development and use, and it will vary with each business. The vision being that AI will support the workflow processes to become more efficient and less costly. And in some cases, replace them. 

New technologies have always shaped society and how we live and function. The Industrial Revolution of the early 1900s, the introduction of railroads, the automobile, electricity, flight, the PC - the list goes on. AI is no different. It will happen, be embraced, and have a significant impact on humanity.

AI forces us to think about what we're doing, no matter what it is, and improve upon it. Consider AI to be your co-partner and collaborator, expanding your capabilities.  

How AI Will Impact Filmmaking - Just Look at India

 

This film used AI exclusively in production

Without unions and film regulations and restrictions, India has become the most consequential experimenter of AI filmmaking - and its endeavors may become the future of the cinema industry.

The Indian filmmaking community has embraced AI. Every stage of the movie-making process - writing, pre- and post-production, special effects, etc. - is being reshaped by AI, and it has become an indispensable collaboration. 

The contrast between Hollywood and the Indian adoption of AI is profound. All of the U.S. film industry unions and guilds have fought to install guardrails around the use of AI, but as these internal battles continue, India and, to some extent, China have moved on.

In India, there are no industry unions or guilds, and no employment protection regarding the use of AI. The result is that AI is now a part of every facet of Indian filmmaking. For example, a new sci-fi series, called 'Warlord', will be created entirely using AI tools. It's estimated that over 80% of Indian films are using AI, and there is no backlash from audiences; it's transparent to them.

Ideally, the future of filmmaking will be a hybrid. Actor and performances will be shot in traditional ways, but the use of AI for site shooting, scriptwriting, special effects, created environments, etc., that require huge budgets will be AI-driven. Right now, in India, a film that would have cost $200 million to produce can be made for $40 million.