Because of the 2023 WGA and SAG strikes, much of the early discussion around artificial intelligence in Hollywood has centered on whether AI will be used to write movie scripts or recreate acting roles. But the highly controversial technology is already being used behind the scenes of your favorite TV shows as a tool to stimulate the creative process. On Saturday afternoon at the ATX TV festival, a group of craft artists discussed the dangers and benefits of AI to their industry during a wide-ranging discussion on their respective programs.
“My art department uses computers and software a lot,” Seth Reed, production designer on the acclaimed Apple series “For All Mankind,” said during the panel. “To us, they're all tools. These things have an AI component to them. [that can help.] You can add textures and do things that go way beyond what a concept artist can do in Photoshop or whatever.”
Reed echoed the comments of other panelists by emphasizing that AI is not being used to replace the work of real artists: No one is losing their job to AI; rather, they are using AI to do their jobs more efficiently.
“But nobody really [replaced] “With this, everything becomes a tool to help you. People are still out there,” Reid said. “And believe me, it's made us a lot more creative. We think it's helped us a lot.” [aided] “What we're doing has a huge impact on our world. And I don't feel threatened at all. That's how I personally feel.”
Still, it wasn't a smooth or universally useful application.
“I've already tried [to use AI] “It was a failure,” says Colin Penman, head of makeup for “Gen V.” Penman said he tried running various AI programs to generate different concepts for Prime Video's imaginative superhero series, but instead of coming up with anything close to what he told them to, “two hours later, you're still talking to your phone and trying to get it to generate something when all you need to do is put pencil to paper.” [useful]. “
“Sometimes I look at it and I understand what it's trying to achieve,” says Victoria Paul, Twisted Metal's production designer. “Oh, you see the architecture? [But] Everybody's worried that it's going to take away our jobs. It's not going to take away our jobs because it's not working yet. But it's going to happen. So I think we need to learn. [how to use it.]”
“As everyone has said, this is a tool for ideas. [AI’s] “The idea is not reality,” says Sharon Gilham, Wheel of Time's costume designer. “The idea is not based on the human body, it's based on a concept. So I think it's interesting, but we're not there yet.”
In an interview with The New York Times earlier this week, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said, “I don't think an AI program will be able to write better scripts than great screenwriters or replace great acting or be indistinguishable from the difference. AI is not going to take your job. Someone who uses AI well may take your job.”
Commenting on the sentiment of the latter quote, Justified: City Primeval director and photographer John Lindley said, “I think that's kind of the pros and cons of it. I was self-taught at mid-journey, so I could make art. I don't know how to paint, so I couldn't have done it otherwise. But I remember when digital cameras came out, they said, 'Just put the camera on a tripod, turn it on, and in an hour the show will be up.'” [But today] I have never worked with so many people and things before.”
“The future is often unclear and this particular question is really unclear, but as everyone has said, we will all use it and we will all use it effectively,” Lindley said. “It will not replace humans.”
The ATX TV Festival panels featuring artists from each craft were hosted by Sony Pictures Television and moderated by IndieWire's Ben Travers. The ATX TV Festival runs from May 30 to June 2 in Austin, Texas.
