In his capacity as a Columnist for California Sports Lawyer®, Founder and Managing Attorney Jeremy Evans has written a column about innovations and uses of artificial intelligence in entertainment, media, and sports business.
You can read the full column below.
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Since the introduction of generative artificial intelligence (“AI”) in public use through ChatGPT and other platforms, there has seemingly been creative uses of the technology to further business endeavors. When SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP negotiated their agreement to end the work stoppage in Hollywood, it did so on the heels of a larger discussion in the industry and beyond as to the proper uses of AI in the workplace. Questions began to circulate as to the morality and ethics of AI and whether workforces would be replaced or whether there should be an AI bill of rights for humans. Essentially, a pecking order to who controls and where.
Discussions are occurring across the country as to the proper use of AI and the regulation of its use in industry. Lost in some of the discussion is the fun and efficient use of technology to do tasks that possibly could not be done before or at least would have taken a significant amount of time and practice. One such example is a new AI dubbing platform that can “instantaneously dub any performance in over 100 languages, dialects, and accents using the original voices with their nuances.”
This is a huge advancement in technology that most certainly will cost a few transcriber jobs, but also protects the original artist or talent or vision whether in sports broadcasting, television, or film. One of the major complaints and dealmaking points in entertainment film and television post-production is to secure what languages are secured to be translated and how. Imagine offering that service with the original artist or talent or vision of the director, producer, or showrunner with the help of generative AI.
Of course a major concern with dubbing technology is that the talent or originator of the work must agree to having their voice used in the AI software. Studios, streamers, and networks will likely have to secure two things: (1) a license from the talent to use the service on the talent’s work or a waiver for such copyrights and likeness, and (2) a written disclaimer for viewers on the screen stating that the specific content being show has been edited or created by AI. For professionals in the advertising business, disclaimers and informational content at the bottom of the screen is nothing new.
AI is also used by Spotify, Netflix, and others to determine your likes and dislikes. Essentially AI is measuring your tastes and preferences to get to know you better so that the platform can deliver more content to you that you like. This is not an altruistic exercise, however. The platforms want you to stay on them so it leads more views and dollars. The platforms do that by keeping you happy and dare we share distracted (e.g., keep strolling and viewing).
As this column has addressed previously, AI has been used to create music, movie scripts, and help to make business decisions. Generative AI is the equivalent of Moneyball and analytics in sports, but instead of humans using calculators and computers to run numbers on the possibility of outcomes for a players performance combined with traditional scouting techniques, it has the ability to make humanlike decisions with all of the aforementioned collective knowledge. Nonetheless, the question of AI will always come down the balance between personalization and efficiency on the business improvement side versus privacy, human directed and created innovation, and protection of the like. In an environment driven by results and the bottom line, there is uncertainty as whether humans will always keep on top of the proverbial food chain. It take providence, the law, and humans to ensure that guided future.
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About Jeremy M. Evans:
Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. Evans is an award-winning attorney and industry leader based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.
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