Lionsgate Enters Controversial Partnership with AI Startup

Remember the WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strikes? AI's Impact on Hollywood Continues.

In recent months, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA made headlines with their extended strikes, primarily seeking safeguards against artificial intelligence (AI). Despite securing some protections, the march of AI into Hollywood hasn't slowed.

Lionsgate, the studio known for the John Wick and Hunger Games franchises, has partnered with AI startup Runway, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal and later confirmed in a press release by Runway. This groundbreaking agreement grants Runway access to Lionsgate's extensive content library in exchange for developing a tailored AI model for the studio’s production and editing processes.

This deal mirrors recent collaborations between publishing companies like TIME and Dotdash Meredith, but it marks a significant first in the film and TV sector. Michael Burns, Vice Chairman of Lionsgate, expressed concerns about falling behind competitors without accepting this technological step. "Runway is a visionary, best-in-class partner who will help us leverage AI to create cutting-edge, cost-efficient content," Burns stated. He also noted that several filmmakers are already enthusiastic about integrating this technology into their pre-production and post-production workflows.

However, the financial implications of this partnership are noteworthy. Burns anticipates that Lionsgate could save "millions and millions of dollars" through this initiative. Whether these savings will impact creatives' pay remains uncertain, but it raises valid concerns among industry professionals.

Adding to the controversy, Runway has faced allegations of using copyrighted content to train its AI system. A former employee revealed internal documents indicating that Runway utilized YouTube videos from major companies, including Disney and Netflix, for training its Gen-3 AI model.

As AI becomes more entrenched in Hollywood, the industry's landscape could dramatically shift, raising questions about creativity, compensation, and the future of content creation.