This AI Video Generator Was Not Trained on Stolen Data

A new generative AI video model made for high-end film and animation studios has been released but unlike many machine learning programs, this one claims it has been exclusively trained on ethical data.

Moonvalley AI teamed up with Asteria to create Marey, an AI video generator designed specifically for professional filmmakers. The model takes its name from Étienne-Jules Marey, a 19th-century chronophotography pioneer whose work laid the foundation for motion pictures.

Marey is offering Hollywood an AI video generator that apparently hasn’t taken people’s videos and pictures without permission. It did this by using data from XTR, a documentary studio that was founded by the same people.

“We used all our resources, and a vast network of creators, to make sure we have a licensed, curated generative AI model,” Asteria CEO Bryn Mooser tells Forbes.

Moonvalley CEO Naeem Talukdar says Marey’s pitch to Hollywood is its fine controls that allow editors to be more precise with AI video generation which — anyone who has ever used the technology will tell you — can be extremely random.

“Today’s video models are mostly text-to-video, type in a prompt, and you get a clip. That’s nowhere near what’s needed for professional filmmaking,” Talukdar tells the AI/XR Podcast.

According to Forbes, Marey incorporates motion capture and video-to-video transformation tools, allowing filmmakers to direct AI-generated content with the same level of precision as traditional VFX and animation workflows. Asteria, which is a generative AI film and animation studio, has already begun collaborating with directors such as Paul Trillo to refine these capabilities in real-world creative projects.

The Challenges of Ethical AI Training

Moonvalley, which recently secured $70 million in funding, has brought together AI experts from DeepMind, Google, and Meta to ensure that Marey’s development adheres to strict ethical guidelines.

“Most AI models are trained on an ocean of unlicensed content, which gives them an edge in variety but creates legal uncertainty. We’re doing it differently, ensuring every pixel Marey has seen is accounted for,” adds Talukdar.

Marey is currently only available via a waitlist filled with filmmakers eager to experiment with its capabilities. Asteria and Moonvalley are selectively granting access while fine-tuning the model’s output to ensure cinema-quality video without common AI flaws such as coherence issues and bizarre artifacts.

Last month, Adobe made its Firefly video model available in public beta which also claims to be an ethical AI video generator trained on data it has rights to. However, there has been controversy surrounding Adobe’s pricing plan and the overall quality of its AI video model.

PetaPixel’s editor-in-chief Jaron Schneider wrote that, “Adobe’s AI video generator is nowhere near ready to charge $30 a month.”