- Rather than replacing artists, AI acts as an enabler
- Democratizing creativity and unlocking new possibilities
- The media and entertainment sector is at the leading edge
- Navigating IP and ethical concerns
- Practical steps for managing risk in the age of AI
- Seizing the AI opportunity
- Our prediction for AI in the creative industries in 2025
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For decades, the creative industries have explored
technology’s potential to shape society, from the dystopian
visions presented in movies like “Blade Runner” and
“The Terminator” to the optimistic future of “A.I.
Artificial Intelligence.” But in recent years, AI has moved
from on-screen fiction to real-world transformation—and with
generative AI, the TV and film industries are at the epicenter of
this shift. Yet AI isn’t here to replace human creativity in TV
and film; it’s here to enhance it.
In 2025, we predict that AI will continue transforming
the production cycle—not by eliminating creative jobs, but by
providing new tools, redefining roles, and sparking synergies
between creative teams and technology.
Rather than replacing artists, AI acts as an enabler
Pixar, a tech-born company, pioneered computer-generated imagery
(CGI) to bring deeply emotional stories like “Toy Story”
to life. Pixar’s innovative use of CGI technology was never
about replacing human artistry; it was about enhancing the
production process and improving the quality of animated films. The
technology was always in service to supporting character-led
storytelling with heart. We believe that AI will take on a
similar supporting role with human creativity as the
lead.
The Academy Award-winning “Everything Everywhere All at
Once,” described by The New York Times
as a “metaphysical multiverse galaxy-brain head trip,”
provides a powerful example of AI complementing human creativity.
Runway AI’s green screen technology and stable diffusion were
used to create the film’s otherworldly scenes, seamlessly
blending complex images to conjure the multiverse in visually
compelling ways. Additionally, Filmmaker AI’s background
removal tool streamlined postproduction, enabling the small visual
effects team to achieve high quality results within tight
deadlines.
The 2023 SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes
set a clear precedent: AI should serve as a tool to
support, not replace, human talent. A year later, AI tools are
gaining traction, with advertising creatives, studios, and
filmmakers experimenting with generative AI use. Inevitably,
adoption varies across the industry with mixed attitudes among
artists. The overarching expectation is that lower-level work will
be automated, releasing humans to bring their focus and creative
talent to truly make a difference on projects. In fact, we
predict that in 2025 there will be a lack of creatives with the
expertise and skills required to use the new AI tools
available.
Democratizing creativity and unlocking new possibilities
We believe that with thoughtful and pragmatic usage, AI tools
have the potential to blend innovation and creativity to bring
stories to life faster, at lower cost, and eventually at the
required level of quality.
Use cases that we predict will grow in 2025
include:
- Applications like Runway AI’s text-to-video tool and
Cinelytic’s analytics and predictive film intelligence platform
that are designed to plug into production workflows, helping
studios and filmmakers streamline production tasks and make more
informed business decisions. - Tools like Pencil AI that can create high-quality, low cost ads
in minutes, with predictive analytics to test performance. ChatGPT
also provides analytical capabilities, allowing industry players to
create audience archetypes to test new TV programs. - From a post-production perspective, we expect localization AI
applications that improve dubbing and subtitling solutions to see a
continued increase in usage in 2025. Platforms like Speechify,
ElevenLabs, and Panjaya.ai simplify and expedite the process to dub
audio and create closed captioning. This enables distribution
companies to unlock incremental revenues in territories where
localization costs have historically been prohibitive.
GenAI is rapidly improving, but in its current state, there are
still limitations to what it can do and should be used for. At the
highest level, this technology is not yet capable of handling
full-scale film and TV production end-to-end. In addition, vendors
in the pre- and post-production space are often newer entrants,
catering to specific use cases and niche applications.We
predict that the output quality and efficacy of the best of these
tools will continue to evolve through 2025.
Studios need to identify a combination of tools and seamlessly
integrate them into existing and improved workflows to optimize
across various stages of production. Move.ai, for example, uses
advanced motion capture to track human movement without the need
for traditional suits. OpenAI’s Sora is still in development
with the intention to offer AI-driven support for tasks like script
analysis and storyboarding, enhancing efficiency in early
production stages.
The increased stability, maturity, and improved
functionality of niche, use-case-specific tools is
essential. Companies need confidence that incorporating
these tools into integrated pipelines doesn’t create a single
point of failure.
The media and entertainment sector is at the leading edge
Creative industries have always been at the forefront of new
technology adoption, and this remains the case for this current
wave of innovation.
According to AlixPartners’ annual Digital Disruption
Survey, 44% of media and entertainment companies see AI as a
significant revenue opportunity. The companies that will thrive are
those that thoughtfully embrace this disruption, adapting their
business and commercial models to harness AI’s potential for
the future.
Navigating IP and ethical concerns
While AI’s upside potential for TV and film production is
undeniable, it also raises serious legal and ethical challenges. As
Deepak Chopra said, “Technology can be beautiful and
diabolical, just like people.” It’s up to us which version
of AI we create.
Many GenAI tools in the pre- and post-production space rely on
copyrighted materials to train large language models (LLMs),
raising the major issue of infringement risk. There is also the key
consideration of whether the IP created using AI is afforded the
same legal protections. With no clear standards, navigating these
questions is complicating the use of AI in the creative landscape.
A development which we expect to see take hold in 2025 is the use
of proprietary LLM “walled gardens”—the concept of
training an LLM with a limited database of information. For
example, Lionsgate’s partnership with Runway AI involves
training a content LLM exclusively using cleared, in-house
content.
As regulatory responses evolve in different ways around the
world (i.e. the EU’s AI
Act, which went into law in July), entertainment companies will
need to approach AI responsibly and within legal boundaries to
ensure legal compliance and public trust.This is a complex
and thorny issue which is unlikely to be fully resolved in
2025.
Practical steps for managing risk in the age of AI
We believe there are eight core building blocks for effective AI
governance, each of which must be tailored to a company’s
particular AI strategy and appetite for risk. The essentials for
each of these governance elements are outlined below:
Seizing the AI opportunity
It all starts with strategy—focus on the business problems
that matter.
Success will depend on how companies
embrace AI for high-impact use cases, prioritizing practical
applications that deliver tangible results. No single tool can do
it all, so choosing the right vendors—or more likely, a
combination of them—to augment the existing creative toolset
is essential across the production cycle.
AlixPartners’ “Practical AI for
CEOs” playbook digs into how to pragmatically apply AI to
drive immediate value, while keeping an eye on emerging long-term
use cases. In our experience, to succeed you must:
- Start by analyzing your business strategy and
determine where AI fits. - Focus on a finite set of use cases that are
impactful—those that are feasible and scalable in the
present. - Get the technology and data foundations right
— AI is nothing without quality data. And without a
technology architecture and vendor strategy that lets you test,
learn, and scale, you won’t get far. - Consider the buy, build, and partner options
— look for available solutions that can get you there faster
rather than falling into the “build first” trap. - Most importantly, take your people on the
journey with you. This isn’t just about
technology—it’s about transformation.
In 2025, we expect to see the greatest AI utilization
across the TV and film industry for simple, measurable creative
opportunities.
Our prediction for AI in the creative industries in 2025
Real magic can happen when human creativity and technological
innovation come together in thoughtful ways.
Collaboration and interaction between AI models and creative
people are key to harnessing the power of the tools. Will there be
a labeled distinction in the future between AI vs. human content?
Or will it quickly become hybrid content where it is
indistinguishable where the human begins and the machine ends? This
also requires commercially safe, ethically trained models with no
risk of IP infringement to the creative output.
We don’t foresee layoffs from AI integration in 2025
as production studios and filmmakers expand consideration and
experimentation with GenAI use. Instead, this technology
will drive efficiency, enable better decision making, and enhance
storytelling. In fact, we believe that in 2025 there will
be a lack of creatives that possess the expertise and skills to
effectively use the new AI tools available.
At this stage, AI isn’t here to replace human creativity.
It’s here to amplify it.
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