AI is a touchy topic in Hollywood, but Disney CEO Bob Iger is bullish on using the technology to further enhance the Disney+ experience.
During the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Thursday, Iger made wide-ranging comments about the potential for AI to enhance Disney’s direct-to-consumer strategy.
Specifically, he said he’s excited about using AI to enhance the appeal of the Disney+ app, including by allowing users to create short-form content.
Iger said during the Q&A portion of the earnings call that AI “will provide a more engaging experience for Disney+ users, including the ability to create user-generated content and consume user-generated content, primarily in short-form format.”
He also said users can expect Disney+ to be a driving force in promoting the company’s theme parks and games (following the company’s investment in Epic Games last year).
The comments show that Disney, like other Hollywood companies, is exploring new ways for people to interact with its platforms and brands as user-generated content platforms and independent creators grow in popularity.
AI isn’t all roses for Disney. The company has been wary of the risks this technology poses to its intellectual property. In June, Disney along with Comcast’s NBCUniversal Studios unit sued AI company Midjourney, claiming the company’s technology created unauthorized copies of everything from Star Wars to The Simpsons. Midjourney denied the allegations in a legal response. The lawsuit continues.
In Iger’s most extensive public comments on AI to date, he also said he is thinking about ways to use AI to increase efficiency in production processes and the company as a whole, as well as to collect and mine data.
He also shared that he is in extensive dialogue with AI companies to protect their intellectual property and increase engagement with consumers. He didn’t name any companies, but said Fable Studios, a startup that offers an AI streaming platform that lets users create their own shows or play with existing IP, is in talks with Disney and others.
“Ultimately, we hope that we can come to some kind of agreement with some parties that actually reflects the need to protect intellectual property, either as an industry or as a company alone,” Iger said.
