‘It’s a Common Trend’: Unveiling the Reality of AI in Hollywood

If you’re looking for a comprehensive insight into how AI is transforming Hollywood … good luck.

Some segments of the industry resent the technology, with screenwriters, directors, and actors pledging to avoid using AI in their work—or collaborating with those who do. Conversely, others are more receptive to the idea of AI serving as anything from a creative collaborator to a cost-saving tool. A few, including Ben Affleck, are already reaping millions by leveraging AI’s emerging potential to (as they assert) enhance and expedite the filmmaking process.

At WIRED, we strive to document the transformational impacts of AI on the entertainment sector, both positive and negative. (If you haven’t yet read Ruth Fowler’s recent essay on transitioning from a screenwriter to an underemployed LLM trainer, it’s highly recommended.) To gain a well-rounded perspective, I wanted to speak with someone who knows the industry and its key figures extensively.

Matt Belloni, a founding partner at Puck, has extensively covered Hollywood for many years. He produces a well-sourced newsletter (What I’m Hearing …) and hosts a podcast (The Town) that often highlights AI and Big Tech as they play increasingly significant roles in entertainment. Belloni’s background as a former lawyer makes him particularly well-suited to discuss the ongoing and impactful conversations around AI, copyright, IP, and celebrity likeness.

Belloni kindly gave me an hour of his time, allowing us to explore a range of topics—from whether Hollywood insiders looked askance at Ben Affleck after selling an AI startup to Netflix for $587 million, to the extent of Big Tech’s control over the entertainment industry. You can read our conversation above or listen to it wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

KATIE DRUMMOND: Matt, I need to start with the obvious, which is artificial intelligence. You’ve been closely observing AI in Hollywood for quite some time, and you’ve mentioned several times that, quote, “everyone is doing it,” meaning everyone [in the industry] is employing AI. What do you actually mean by that?

MATTHEW BELLONI: Well, there are two categories of AI, as you’re aware. One is generative AI, which involves content creation and tasks of that nature, and the other I call corporate AI, aimed at optimizing processes and improving search outcomes. Clearly, with the latter, everyone is utilizing it.

I won’t name any names, but I encountered an intriguing story about a well-known showrunner who entered the writer’s room and admonished her team for not using ChatGPT to assist in the process.

To assist with the creative process? Or with administrative tasks?

The creative process. Here’s a scenario, suggest some jokes. Here’s this, this, this. It doesn’t imply they use them directly. You could achieve similar results with Google. It’s just more efficient, and people are employing it. I’ve spoken to screenwriters who rely on it for scenario suggestions or descriptions of settings they want to explore, which seem to me to be part of the creative process.

You might be interested to know that the Writers Guild is actually okay with this practice. As long as a credited writer is attached to every script and the use of this technology doesn’t adversely affect jobs, they’re fine with it.

That’s one aspect. On the other hand, generative AI is creating content, which is more complicated, as many studios are claiming to produce AI-generated films, shorts, and TV pilots. I’ve seen many of these, and they’re not impressive. Animation tends to be where we see initial disruptions, but there’s always a certain recognition that it’s not quite right, which complicates the viewer’s connection. I’m curious to see what Elon’s historically accurate version of The Odyssey might look like.