The Conversation - Is AI a threat to Hollywood creatives?

Imagine you’re in a movie theater watching the closing seconds of a Hollywood blockbuster. The credits begin to roll, and under the heading “cast” is a list of actors’ names, each preceded by the words “the likeness of.” Next comes the names of the director and producers, followed by a long list of names under the heading “prompt engineers.” Nowhere in the credits do you see any mention of a cinematographer or screenwriter.

This scenario, which some might call a nightmare, is plausible in the near future if artificial intelligence becomes the driving force behind the entertainment industry. This possibility is among the rationales for the strikes by Hollywood actors, which began in July, and writers – which crossed the 100-day mark a few days ago.

University of Southern California cinema scholar Holly Willis explains how this scenario could come to be and why creative professionals in the industry are worried.

This week we also liked articles about Trump’s latest court hearing, what can make your hair curlier in the summertime and why Lahaina’s loss is traumatic for Native Hawaiians.