”Well, the nightmare fuel is here,” I cried to every film buff I knew in December of last year. “We’re about to get a flood of AI feature-length films.” While my friends scoffed, OpenAI unveiled their long-teased video model, Sora.
In the weeks since, the AI video world has exploded. Google released its video model: Veo 2, which already claims to be superior to Sora. Nvidia also released a competitor in Cosmos, which builds not just video but entire “virtual worlds.” Cosmos is even an open-source model — meaning it’s free for anyone to use, augment, or perfect. With so many free and accessible models, the barrier to making your own extended AI works has collapsed.
In 2025, Hollywood studios won’t just battle home streaming and swelling audience disinterest. Scores of amateur creators sit at their computers, painstakingly stitching together two-hour films out of ten-second clips they’ve generated. Sure, it’s boring to do this for hours, but it’s easy. So plenty of internet “artists” will be up to the task.
It’s already begun across our feeds. Youtube has filled with wave after wave of AI shorts and fake trailers. Now you too can build uncanny valley works that beg the question “What if Wes Anderson made Harry Potter?” At first, our biggest annoyance was sifting through AI refuse to reach our dear TikTok and Instagram content. But that’s just the beginning. Video models are reaching a shocking level of fidelity. We’ve all had relatives share obviously AI videos on Facebook, deepening the sea of misinformation. Deepfakes flooded newsfeeds during the 2024 elections. Newer models are even harder to distinguish from reality. The worst is yet to come.
Where AI Video is Heading
At first, one or two popular AI films will steal headlines and Hollywood will take notice. The idea that they’re competing with all AI content online as yet another hurdle will send execs running for the hills (pun intended). They’ll tighten their budgets even more and stifle even more creativity. Some celebrities will take a hard stance against AI video but it will be short-lived.
As new models surface and high-quality AI content grows, those same celebrities will suddenly reverse their decision. Nearly everyone across Hollywood will soon announce projects with AI at their core. Why? Because it’s fast and easy and cheaper than hiring human labor. Oscar contenders ‘Emilia Pérez’ and ‘The Brutalist’ have already come under fire for using AI tech in their films.
And so, AI will invade cinema like a virus. But wait, executives eschewing art in favor of cost-saving measures? That’s nothing new in Hollywood. Or elsewhere. CNN reported over 40% of major companies expect to use AI to downsize their workforce in coming years. Many companies are already asking: “why pay visual artists if generative AI can grant good-enough results cheaply and within minutes?”
Ethics And Past Impacts of AI
Last year, Midjourney was criticized for allegedly using the work of over 16,000 creatives without their consent to train Midjourney image generation models. Many claim this resulted in benefitting from and copying these artists’ work — and clear violation of copyright law. The resulting lawsuit still continues in courts to this day. That’s just one of many suits alleging AI has been used by big tech for illegal financial gain. The breakneck pace of technology can leave regulatory laws murky and open to exploitation. The resulting loophole? AI can be used to replace humans in the workforce while still exploiting their human-made content, just without paying the creators.
That’s how (in an already tumultuous job market) AI has caused massive disruption to creative careers. A recent study (as reported by the LA Times) estimated that over 204,000 jobs will be disrupted in the US entertainment industry by the end of 2026. That means that many jobs (spanning film, TV, music and video gaming) will have their major tasks consolidated, replaced, or eliminated entirely.
While major films take at least two years to produce, triple A video games are known to take over three or four — so it will be some time before today’s projects release. Until then, we may not even understand the extent of AI usage across these industries. By the time we do, the layoffs will have happened and the damage done.
And that’s just one sector. With advancing automation, countless industries will be looking for ways to let AI slash their labor force and cut costs.
All We Have Is Hope
While we’re pretty used to AI generating uncanny valley slop, generative models are improving rapidly. Computer-generated visual effects started small in the 80’s; now they’re advanced and ubiquitous. Fully AI features will soon look as realistic as in-camera shots. As the tech yields cheaper and more lifelike results, it will be up to Hollywood to use it wisely.
Disney has launched a new department to investigate AI risks and opportunities. Some studios will use AI to cut corners and fire artists. Other studios could incorporate AI into their process while working to limit collateral damage such as job loss and drop in quality. AI could create new opportunities and industry tools — as long as greed doesn’t win out.
Image courtesy of Clément Proust on Pexels.com
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