Gen AI: Entertainment Industry Faces Job Losses

Gen AI capable of content generation could lead to job loss according to CVL Economics with sound designers to be affected the most.

CVL Economics, a consulting organization, predicts that the film and animation industry will experience more job losses due to generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) compared to any other industry.

The report published in January 2024 revealed that 75 percent of the survey respondents indicated that Gen AI tools, software and models supported the elimination, reduction or consolidation of jobs in their business division.

The survey was conducted between November 17 and December 22, 2023. 300 leaders from six different entertainment industries including corporate executives, senior executives and mid-level managers participated in the survey.

Using no explicit programming, Gen AI is able to generate a wide variety of content, including images, text, and music. It makes use of machine learning in order to comprehend and reproduce patterns derived from previously collected data.

Approximately 55 percent of leaders anticipate that sound designers will be the most affected in the next three years, as stated in the survey. Music editors, audio technicians, and sound engineers are believed to be vulnerable by over forty percent of people, while approximately 33% anticipate that songwriters, composers and studio engineers would be affected.

Two labor unions the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) went on strike in July 2023 shortly after ChatGPT was introduced.

The walkout was in response to developments in artificial intelligence that might potentially impact work duties and security. A great number of businesses had been using the content that was written by authors in order to train Gen AI algorithms as well as to construct digital replicas and characters based on the likeness of actors before the strike.

Workers on strike were concerned about the possibility that Gen AI technology will take over their jobs if sufficient protections are not implemented.

Although the latest contract discussions with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers were successful, members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild of America (SAG-AFTRA) continue to express worries regarding the unpredictability of the influence that Gen AI will have on the film and television industry as well as other entertainment sectors.

According to the survey, 47 percent of the executives in charge of businesses believed that Gen AI would be able to effectively develop 3D assets and realistic sound design for the film, television and video game industries over the next three years.

According to the survey, another 44% of respondents anticipated that Gen AI would be able to generate accurate and convincing foreign language dubbing for film or television dialogue and 39% of respondents believed that Gen AI would be able to generate music mixes and masters by the year 2026.

However, CVL Economics anticipates additional job cuts in the months ahead as companies like Riot Games, Unity Software, Amazon MGM Studios, Pixar, and Universal Music Group have already indicated plans to lay off employees in the first few weeks of 2024.