The tide seems to be shifting in favor of AI in the debate over artificial intelligence in cinema. The biggest turning point came with Martine Scorsese’s big decision to use AI to create storyboards for his upcoming film. He is now backing an AI startup called Black Forest Labs to help evolve cinema with tech. While the world was taking in this unexpected shift, another massive pivot has made waves in the discourse.

Disney and Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries-backed media and streaming company JioStar is getting ready to significantly increase the amount of AI-generated content available on its JioHotstar platform. The choice was made in response to the success of its AI-generated program Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh, which received millions of views following its premiere.

According to the sources familiar with the project, the media and entertainment group plans to hire 80 AI specialists and engineers for the shift because they view it as a chance to significantly lower production costs, as reported by Bloomberg(via Business Standard).

According to the sources, the company is working on a number of AI-powered entertainment projects, such as the TV series Makaraj, the feature film Hanuman, and a few micro-dramas. With a wider deployment, JioStar will become the first big mainstream studio in India to release several AI-generated programs; other smaller production companies have already used AI to create films and micro-dramas.

The decision is not something new, not at least in the Asia region, where AI-generated content has taken over mobile-first consumers.

AI content is rampant in the Asian market   

The strategy to shift to AI-generated content is in line with a broader trend in the area, as production companies in China and India are increasingly utilizing AI technologies to serve mobile-first consumers. It is a part of a broader trend in Asia, where production companies in China and India are employing AI tools more frequently to create content for viewers who prefer mobile devices.

The AI in films debate seems to be going largely in favor of tech, despite initial pushback from the bigwigs of the industry. It seems to be ushering in a new era for cinema, where AI might become a significant part of the film production process and work towards making cinema more cost and time-efficient. 

What do you think about JioStar's bet on AI? Do let us know in the comments.

Written by

Harshit Kumar

Edited by

Itti Mahajan