The ever-growing influence of Artificial Intelligence and generative AI has caused panic in many industries, including entertainment, where writers and actors have gone on strike. Now, amidst the strike, Fable Studios unveiled its new AI model called SHOW-1, which allegedly has the capacity to make an entire TV show and showcased its capabilities with a fake “South Park” episode.
Although the episode was just 11 minutes long and lacked the authenticity and humour of the original series, it provided a glimpse into SHOW-1’s capabilities, which utilizes a large language model (LLM) and diffusion tools to construct scripts and visuals while the user contributes by selecting characters, settings, and providing prompts for the AI to work with.
Ethical concerns
Despite demonstrating significant development in the AI field, there are ethical and creative concerns regarding its impact on the livelihoods of professionals in the entertainment industry. Additionally, with over half of Hollywood already on strike, studio executives could potentially use this technology as a cost-cutting measure, leading to widespread job losses and a decline in the quality of creative work. And this is the reason why industry professionals are calling out for strict protections against the unchecked use of AI tools by producers without artists’ express permission.
Fable’s response
When discussing the potential repercussions of introducing the SHOW-1 AI at such a sensitive time, Edward Saatchi, the CEO of Fable Studios, argued that this development could benefit the labour side of the dispute. He believes that demonstrating the capabilities of AI can prompt discussions that lead to establishing clear rules and limitations for its usage in creative processes.
“We think the timing is correct — we are right in the middle of the biggest strike in 60 years, by releasing the research (but not the ability for anyone to create episodes of protected IP), we hope [for] the Guilds in Hollywood to negotiate strong, strong, strong protections that producers cannot use AI tools without the express permission of artists,” said Edward Saatchi.
However, many people participating in the strike remain sceptical about the positive impact of this development, with some speculating it to be a clever marketing stunt. Nevertheless, Fable’s AI technology has sparked significant debate, as the company aims to achieve Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) through simulated characters living in virtual environments.