AI Companies Used 130,000 Film and TV Scripts to Train Generative Models
A new report says that AI companies have plundered over 130,000 films and TV shows without permission to train generative AI models.
The British Film Institute (BFI) published the findings in a wide-ranging report that explores the opportunities and risks AI presents to the film, television, video game, and visual effects industries.
The AI in the Screen Sector: Perspectives and Paths Forward report warns that the technology “poses a threat to the fundamental economics of the screen sector” and that copyright is “the dominant concern around AI today.”
The BFI warns that the biggest challenge facing the film industry is the use of intellectual property to train generative AI models without compensating or seeking permission from rights holders — resulting in over 130,000 film and TV scripts being used in training.
“As generative models learn the structure and language of screen storytelling – from text, images and video – they can then replicate those structures and create new outputs at a fraction of the cost and expense of the original works,” the report states, according to Deadline. “These learned capabilities can be used to assist human creatives, but AI tools may also be used to compete against the original creators whose work they were trained on.”
The report also raises concerns that AI could wipe out entry-level roles, which are essential for bringing new talent into the film and TV industries.
In a statement, the BFI notes that while AI is already part of the filmmaking process — such as in the post-production of The Brutalist — the rapid rise of generative AI represents a critical turning point, and urgent strategic action is needed.
“AI has long been an established part of the screen sector’s creative toolkit, most recently seen in the post-production of the Oscar-winning The Brutalist, and its rapid advancement is attracting multi-million investments in technology innovator applications,” the BFI’s Director of Research & Innovation Rishi Coupland tells Variety.
“However, our report comes at a critical time and shows how generative AI presents an inflection point for the sector and, as a sector, we need to act quickly on a number of key strategic fronts.”
The BFI’s findings come as the UK government reportedly considers legislation that would either require copyright holders to opt out of having their material
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
