For decades, Hollywood has experimented with films and TV shows faster, cheaper, and flashy technology. Now, with generative AI, its experiments creep up into the writer's room, one of the industry's most sacred spaces.
From blockbuster franchises to indie productions, writers tackle the role of AI in shaping scripts. It is causing a fierce division among industry insiders. Some view it as a tool that can add depth to the storytelling process. Others see it as a soulless machine and are unable to capture the living experience that resonates with a wonderful story.
Studios like Lionsgate have already signed contracts with AI startups to speed up production and reduce costs. Meanwhile, the American Writers Guild protested against technology, gaining signs that “ChatGpt has no childhood trauma.”
Viewers may also be wary. A recent survey of 5,000 people in the US, UK, Europe and Australia by management consulting firm Baringa found that 53% of US consumers find it uncomfortable to see content that AI touched. Despite the careful approach of some startups, the use of AI raises legal and existential questions about what stories will be told, who will tell them, and how viewers will connect with the next era of entertainment.
Still, there has been a wave of experimentation, with AI being used to predict the potential for a script's box-office, and filmmakers treat it as a tool for some parts of scriptwriting.
Startups are using AI to transform scripting processes
Some companies view AI as a safe way to place bets on dangerous projects.
Swiss startup Largo.ai uses predictive AI to analyze scripts and predict commercial potential. Studios can upload everything from an outline to a finished cut, mapping system map plots, genre shifts, emotional arcs, casting, audiences and financial forecasts.
Once the script is uploaded, AI compares its elements to a database of 400,000 films, featuring data on the success, failure and narrative components of past Hollywood and indie films. AI runs simulated focus groups with “digital twins” representing real consumers.
Largo then generates detailed insights into genre trends, audience demographics and revenue forecasts. Studios can use these insights later to decide which projects to guide Greenlight and guide them to rewrite. For example, if the emotional arc of a story is written as “too flat,” that feedback can be relayed to the writer.
According to the company, producers using the software have a green light rate of three times the average. The company also reserved for once-large productions, as simulated focus groups are 10 times faster and cheaper than traditional groups.
“The goal is not only to increase commercial value, but to use feedback to increase creative value,” Sami Arpa, CEO and co-founder of Largo.ai, told Business Insider.
Filmmakers experiment with AI as creative collaborators
Filmmaker Nick Kleberov used chatgpt in “Memory Maker.” He directed AI Film Studio Wonder Studios. He used a chatbot to see the originality of the story, brainstorm the twists of the plot, and expand the fictional universe of the project.
However, Kleverov rejects the script for the entire AI draft and calls “reversely flowed” and “old” and “Trite”. At the same time, he sees it as a way to explore big ideas that impact your budget without costly risk.
“As far as original creativity is concerned, the human mind is unparalleled,” Kleberov told Business Insider. “Humans need to always lead those stories.”
For some creators, AI can inspire in unexpected ways.
Rahul Gautama, a consulting leader in American media and entertainment, recalls an animator client who tested rapid image generation and received “hadowstopping” images that influenced the direction of the new narrative. This is an example of how an AI-Image generator can inspire fresh ideas even if it doesn't work as intended.
“Script visualization is an exciting space,” Gautama told Business Insider. “Giving the writer the opportunity to 'see' your ideas before filming can provide valuable creative provocations. ”
AI creates new forms of storytelling, but with restrictions
Some filmmakers are using AI to rethink how they tell stories.
Steven Ilous, founder and CEO of Entertainment Technology startup Feature.io, will work with clients such as Netflix and Porsche to create “smart content” that blends audience engagement and narrative.
“Lollipop Racing” will feature “The Fast and the Furious” author David Ayer as executive producer in a 10-episode series, allowing viewers to participate in parallel races. feature.io's unique AI creates digital avatars for your audience. The main plot remains human-created, but feature.io's algorithms provide dynamic, personalized content, like bonus scenes based on audience choices.
Ilous imagines AI that allows for an “endless” show or fan-building universe. However, despite its possibilities, he is limited to his use of its interactive experience to protect the artist's artistic integrity.
“I don't think there's enough clarity yet about how AI can be used ethically from a writing perspective,” Iros said.
Not all experiments work. Robert J. Locke, executive producer of August Sun Productions, attempted an AI coverage service for script feedback and determined it was “no use.” He argued that AI “always lack” because it has no personal experience to draw out to convey emotional depth.
“The script has to touch people's hearts,” Locke said. “AI can't do that.”
Screenplay AI raises legal and creative concerns
Using AI in writing introduces thorny copyright issues.
US law requires human authors for copyright protection. So, a fully AI-written script with no meaningful human modifications can't be copyright protected, said Intellectual Property Attorney Matthew Asbel. However, AI-assisted scripts can be protected when human authors shape creative expressions.
However, even with legal protection, abuse can erode audience trust.
“The risks of AI-generated content are both realistic and important,” Gautama said, adding that in the long-term series, removing AI-written episodes can undermine continuity and character reliability.
ARPA acknowledged the risk of “content inflation,” a standard output from overreliance on AI — but said the talent still stands out.
“Just using these tools like magic wands, you get an average, and that average is not satisfactory,” ARPA said.
For now, most filmmakers do not view AI as an alternative to human writers. Studios may embrace that and speed up development and reduce costs. But the consensus is that the best stories still require human judgment, living experiences and emotional depth.
The challenge is to integrate AI in ways that maintain these quality.
“Time tells us whether we can develop emotional connections with these stories and be able to demonstrate our capabilities,” Gautama said.
