Lion King Director Thinks AI Will 'Democratize' Content Production, Leading To 'Explosion Of New Voices,' Says 'Technology Ultimately Will Save Us'

Ahead of the Reply AI Film Festival, Rob Minkoff, the director of The Lion King, shared his thoughts on the transformative power of artificial intelligence in the film industry.

What Happened: Minkoff emphasized that AI could democratize filmmaking by reducing production costs and making advanced tools accessible to more creators. He believes this will lead to a surge in diverse content and new voices in the industry. Minkoff said this in an interview with CNBC.

"I think what AI will do is potentially democratize the process of making content, because if literally anyone is given these incredibly powerful tools, then what we should see is truly an explosion of content, an explosion of new voices," Minkoff said.

Speaking ahead of the Reply AI Film Festival, Minkoff noted that the fear of new technology is not new. He compared current concerns about AI to those that arose with the advent of computer animation in the 1990s.

Minkoff recalled using computers to create the iconic stampede scene in The Lion King, highlighting how technology can seamlessly integrate with traditional animation techniques.

Despite acknowledging valid concerns about AI, such as copyright issues, Minkoff remains optimistic about its potential benefits. He suggested establishing a body to protect filmmakers’ intellectual property, similar to organizations in the music industry.

The Reply AI Film Festival, where Minkoff serves as a judge, celebrates filmmakers using AI to create short films. The event showcases how AI can enhance creative processes without necessarily reducing employment in the industry.

"I hope that technology ultimately will save us, in some regards, or make life better, easier or more more prosperous," Minkoff said. "But it's the Wild West, where it seems like anything is possible and anything can be done." 

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Why It Matters: The conversation around AI in creative fields has been gaining momentum. Earlier this year, a tech YouTuber Matt Wolfe demonstrated how to create a short film using AI tools like OpenAI‘s ChatGPT, sparking interest in AI’s potential in filmmaking.

In July, Nintendo Co. President Shuntaro Furukawa addressed AI’s role in video game development, raising concerns about intellectual property. "Generative AI, which is becoming a big topic recently, can be used in creative ways, but we recognize that it may also raise issues with intellectual property rights," he said.

Moreover, the freelance job market has seen a rise in demand for roles that AI cannot yet replace, emphasizing the irreplaceable value of human creativity.

“AI can't replace creativity yet,” said Matt Barrie, CEO of Freelancer.com. “We saw a similar trend occur in the first quarter of the year, as creative design jobs were flourishing despite interest for generative AI tripling.”

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Image generated using Dall-E

This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Kaustubh Bagalkote