By Erik Hayden
In what may prove to be a milestone move for major Hollywood studios, Disney has decided to partner with OpenAI and invest $1 billion in the Sam Altman-run artificial intelligence juggernaut as well as ink a licensing deal that would allow users of its AI video creation platform Sora to create clips using iconic characters from Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars franchises.
The three-year deal signals that studios may look to embrace, rather than fight, AI startups that already allow users to infringe on their intellectual property. By this thinking, at least Hollywood companies are able to monetize their IP with lucrative licensing deals rather than see their businesses entirely disrupted with nothing to show for it. Whether that ultimately destabilizes the production and content creation side of the entertainment industry may be the big question.
