Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1517430
12 14.3.2024 Alexiei Dingli Prof Alexiei Dingli is a Professor of AI at the University of Malta and has been conducting research and working in the field of AI for more than two decades, assisting different companies to implement AI solutions. He forms part of the Malta.AI task-force, set up by the Maltese government, aimed at making Malta one of the top AI countries in the world NEWS AI killed the TV star R ecent technological ad- vancements in the arts, particularly within the entertainment industry, un- leashed a wave of unprecedent- ed possibilities. e progression from text-to-text Artificial In- telligence (AI) like ChatGPT to the more recent innovations in text-to-video AI symbolises a paradigm shi of monumen- tal proportions. is evolution has far-reaching implications for both the creators behind the scenes and the audiences who consume these artistic outputs. e pivotal moment in this narrative was the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. is event highlighted a brewing conflict: the fear and reality of AI replacing human writers in the creative process. e strike had profound economic repercussions, leading to sub- stantial financial and job loss- es. e heart of the dispute lay in the diminishing residuals from streaming media and the looming threat of AI, such as ChatGPT, taking over roles traditionally filled by human writers. e writers demand- ed that AI be limited to a sup- portive role in research and idea generation rather than as a full-fledged replacement. is milestone leads us to envision a future termed 'Hol- lywood 2.0', where the tradi- tional roles and methods of filmmaking will be revolution- ised or even supplanted by AI. e implications are multifac- eted. On the one hand, there is concern about the future of employment and authen- tic creative expression in an AI-dominated landscape. On the other, this shift opens up exhilarating possibilities for audience engagement with media. e concept of inter- active narratives, where view- ers have control over the sto- ryline, character development, or even the movie's ending, becomes a tangible reality. e emergence of websites like is Person Does Not Ex- ist (https://thispersondoesno- texist.com/), which showcases AI's ability to generate realis- tic human images, suggests a future where actors could be entirely replaced by digital creations. is evolution pre- sents both exciting prospects for personalised entertain- ment and ethical quandaries regarding the authenticity of such content. But AI's impact on the fu- ture of entertainment is much more profound, and OpenAI's Sora represents the next sig- nificant stride in this evolu- tion. Sora, a groundbreaking text-to-video AI, can gener- ate complex scenes from sim- ple text prompts, showcasing multiple characters, types of motion, and accurate details. Its potential uses span various domains, from creating short- form videos for social media to producing promotional content for advertising. It of- fers cost-effective solutions for prototyping and concept visualisation, allowing film- makers and designers to cre- ate mockups before the actual production. Sora also has ap- plications in generating syn- thetic data for training com- puter vision systems, making it a versatile tool beyond en- tertainment. However, as with any pow- erful technology, it presents potential risks. One signifi- cant concern is the generation of harmful content, which in- cludes violent, explicit, or oth- erwise inappropriate material. Another risk is its capability to create deepfake videos, raising issues around misinforma- tion and disinformation. is capability can be particularly problematic in sensitive are- as such as politics and public perception. Additionally, bias- es present in the training data can manifest in the generated content, potentially perpetu- ating stereotypes or cultural biases. But this is just the start of a new revolution. e budding technology of text-to-3D, combined with advancements in virtual reality through de- vices like Apple Vision Pro or Quest 3, indicates a future where audiences are not mere spectators but active partici- pants in immersive, multi-di- mensional worlds. is shift could mark the obsolescence of traditional film and televi- sion as they are displaced by more interactive formats. e interplay of AI and the entertainment industry repre- sents not just a technological leap but also a cultural and eth- ical shift. is shift challenges us to reconsider our defini- tions of creativity, authorship, and the value of human input in the creative process. It rais- es questions about intellec- tual property rights, the fair distribution of residuals, and the potential for AI to either augment or diminish human roles in the entertainment in- dustry. Ultimately, it calls for a balanced approach where AI enhances human creativity, not replace it. is journey re- quires careful navigation, en- suring that the benefits of AI are harnessed without com- promising the irreplaceable nuances and insights that hu- man writers bring to the table. It is vital to find a harmonious balance between embracing the potential of AI and pre- serving the essence of human creativity. is means ensur- ing fair employment practices, maintaining the authenticity of artistic expression, and fos- tering a landscape where tech- nology is an enhancer rather than a usurper of human cre- ativity. e future is upon us, demanding that our solutions and narratives be as imagina- tive and conscientious as the technologies we create. This journey requires careful navigation, ensuring that the benefits of AI are harnessed without compromising the irreplaceable nuances and insights that human writers bring to the table.