David Ellison says AI could be the ‘biggest creative unlock in modern history’

During Paramount Skydance’s earnings call, CEO David Ellison said it is "hard to imagine" AI will not have a bigger impact on the film industry than CGI, calling it potentially "the biggest creative unlock in modern history." He compared AI to the advent of CGI and digital compositing in the early 1990s, which enabled films like "Jurassic Park" and "Terminator 2." Ellison noted that "Terminator" cost $4 million to make but would cost $60–70 million shot-for-shot today, and suggested AI tools could make budgets more digestible, enabling more original storytelling and risk-taking. He said AI will "significantly" reshape Paramount Skydance’s business and that the company has been developing its own AI tools to speed up production and transform how it works, while making premium IP and live events more valuable. Ellison also said that "in a world of AI slop, we think there will always be a premium for truly hand-crafted storytelling," adding that AI is "a tool for artists and will never be a replacement for them."

(Source：The Verge)