A group of influential Hollywood filmmakers, executives, and actors has been secretly meeting with Silicon Valley executives to address a pressing issue in the industry: how to define where AI is useful in the context of a human-controlled creative process.

The meetings, which began in November 2023, were first convened by LucasFilm pioneer Kathleen Kennedy and American Film Institute dean Susan Ruskin. The coalition, which includes industry leaders such as actor and InterPositive co-founder Ben Affleck, A24 partner Scott Belsky, and CAA agent Greg Siegel, has been working tirelessly to develop a framework that outlines how AI is already present in the film industry and defines ways humans can maintain control of other use cases.

The ‘Human Generative Workflows’ Document

The group’s framework, known as the ‘Human Generative Workflows’ document, is intended to stimulate industry discussion and provide a common vocabulary for thinking about authorship in an era of generative AI. The document acknowledges that AI is already present in various aspects of the film industry, from color grading and upscaling to markerless motion capture.

However, the group emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between AI-generated assets, such as voices and likenesses, which are not copyrightable, and tools and processes that serve human creative vision. The document provides a list of definitions of industry workflows that are generally assisted by AI, including ‘upscaling and sharpening’ and ‘markerless mocap.’

The ‘Human Generative Workflows’ document also addresses the issue of how artists can consent and be compensated for the use of their likenesses for generative purposes. The group hopes that publishing its framework will provoke a conversation within the film industry and beyond, helping to shape the various use cases for AI and address the concerns surrounding its integration into the creative process.

The convening of Hollywood leaders to reshape the conversation around AI comes as the industry grapples with the transformative impact of generative AI. The technology has sparked fear among creative professionals about how models are trained and the rise of AI-generated deepfakes. However, the initiative indicates that industry execs and creative professionals are more eager to publicly discuss AI’s place within Hollywood, even if attendees are selectively going public about it.

As the film industry continues to evolve, the ‘Human Generative Workflows’ document serves as a crucial step towards defining the role of AI in the creative process. By providing a common vocabulary and framework for thinking about authorship, the document aims to stimulate industry discussion and promote a shared approach to the future of entertainment.

The group’s statement on the framework highlights the importance of human creativity and control in the face of AI-driven innovation. The document is not intended to address some of the more pressing issues surrounding AI, such as how models are trained and the potential impact on jobs. However, it does acknowledge that the conversation around AI is bigger than the technology itself, and that it is about bringing the entertainment community together to shape a shared approach to the future of the creative process.