The Television Academy has taken a significant step in addressing the role of AI in the entertainment industry by establishing guidelines aimed at ensuring responsible use of generative AI in production.
Television Academy Establishes Guidelines for Responsible AI Use
EXCLUSIVE: A Television Academy task force has finalized guidelines for members regarding “responsible AI and production standards,” Deadline reports.
Three Pillars of the Guidelines
The guidelines are built on three key pillars: creative integrity, permissions, licenses, legal and commercial viability, and accountability, transparency and sustainability.
The document is based on a survey of over 30,000 members and will be rolled out after the Primetime Emmys.
The Impact of Generative AI
Generative AI has become a contentious issue in Hollywood, especially following the rise of ChatGPT and the 2023 labor strikes by SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild due to fears of AI replacing jobs. Concerns about copyright protection are heightened, with major studios like Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery taking legal action against AI image creator Midjourney.
Leadership of the Task Force
Christina Lee Storm, governor of the Academy’s Emerging Media Programming peer group and co-chair of the Advocacy Committee, led the task force. She noted a significant shift in the creative community’s attitude towards generative AI over the past two years.
“Two years ago, the Television Academy held an AI Summit with many disgruntled participants. This year, there was a notable openness to AI tools as more people recognize their potential to enhance certain aspects of the craft,” Storm stated.
Key Principles of Responsible AI Use
According to Storm, the three board-approved principles are:
1) Creative Integrity
Consider how the use of generative AI respects the contributions of artists, including writers and performers. Are they informed and credited properly?
See More ...
2) Permissions and Licensing
Ensure the AI model is trained on ethically sourced data and not on pirated content. Storm referenced Anthropic’s recent $1.5 billion settlement for unauthorized use of authors’ works.
3) Accountability and Transparency
Disclose how and when generative AI was utilized in the project to all stakeholders.
Currently, these principles are recommendations rather than mandates, but they involve input from all 31 peer groups within the Academy, including animators and writers.
“The Television Academy acknowledges the necessity for ethical guidelines regarding generative AI in television,” said Maury McIntyre, president and CEO of the Academy. “We aim to educate our members on preserving creative integrity as the industry evolves.”
This initiative follows the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences updating its Oscar rules last April amid AI controversies, emphasizing that AI usage will not influence nomination chances.
Storm participated in a TIFF AI panel alongside notable industry figures, discussing the implications of generative AI in filmmaking.
