Tyler Perry, the famous director and producer, pauses his $800 million studio expansion with OpenAI’s Sora
Famous American actor, director, and producer Tyler Perry shared his concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on the entertainment industry. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said that he halted the planned $800 million expansion of Tyler Perry Studios after seeing the capabilities of OpenAI’s new AI video generator Sora, DailyMail.co.uk reports.
“I was in the midst of planning an $800 million expansion of the studio,” Perry said. “We were going to add 12 more soundstages, but that’s all on hold right now because of Sora and what it can do. I’ve been getting reports over the last year that this was coming, but I had no idea until I saw the demo recently. It shocks me.”
Sora is a video text synthesis model that uses a neural network pre-trained on video examples. It can take written descriptions of a scene and turn them into high-definition video clips up to 60 seconds long. Sora has far outperformed other AI video generators, which has caused a shock not only in the tech world but also in related professional fields such as Hollywood.
“It could make it unnecessary to build sets or travel to locations,” says Perry. “This artificial intelligence could generate virtual filming in the snow of Colorado or on the moon with a text prompt. This could lead to a radical reduction in the cost of making a movie, which would likely jeopardize jobs in the entertainment industry.”
The producer is concerned about the future of people working in this field: “I think this will affect every corner of our industry. This is an existential risk for the entertainment industry that it cannot ignore. There must be some rules to protect us. If not, I just don’t see how we will survive.”
Perry calls not only on filmmakers but also on governments to take action to help save jobs in the age of artificial intelligence: “I hope there is a whole government approach that will help everyone survive.”
Read also: OpenAI surprised again: Ukrainians’ reaction to the launch of a new AI tool Sora
