i3 - July/August 2018 - 34

Business

By Gary Arlen

C S PAC E

AI Gets
Creative

So far, AI's output has been on routine
tasks. For example, Sony's Computer
Science Laboratories (CSL) in Paris has
created "Flow Machines" to help musical
artists with their creative process, although
the software has also written songs on its
own. At Google, the "Magenta" research
project developed "NSynth Super" to see
how machine learning tools can help artists create art and music in new ways.
IBM's Watson AI system generated
highlight clips for the CBS coverage of the
Masters Golf Tournament and was also
used to package a preview trailer for the
20th Century Fox movie Morgan in 2016.
In both cases, Watson identified the exciting segments of the full production and
stitched them together into a template.

Labor unions remain
cautious of the
tech intrusion and
threat to their jobs.
Since AI is based on big data, the systems
look for scenes that audiences like, then
match them with actual production: a computer-age blend of marketing and media.
Observers say the first steps into
AI creative productions will involve
34

JULY/AUGUST 2018

collaborations between experienced
staffs and the technology that automates the process. Meanwhile, labor
unions remain cautious of the tech
intrusion and threat to their jobs.
Beyond the first wave of AI activity
looms a larger prospect of creative computerization. For example, cinematographic drones today may be "piloted" by
human camera operators. But as the
drones learn how to follow a certain
character or sweep above an action
scene, the need for a cinematographer
may become redundant.

Then There's Writing

AI software already "writes" reports for
the Associated Press and other media
groups on financial news and sports. It
digests the data (stock earnings or baseball stats, for example) and puts it into a
familiar style for that coverage.
Creative writers acknowledge there
are only a handful of fictional storyline
structures, and AI systems have learned
these fundamentals. The Massachusetts
Institute of Technology Media Lab and
McKinsey's Consumer Tech and Media
team collaborated on a project in which
neural networks watched thousands of
movies, TV shows and online videos.
The machine-learning process created a
vast database of plot situations and

identified "emotional arcs" - relationships between characters, plot dynamics, even the music and visual imagery
that appeal to audiences, based on what
professional storytellers use.
Armed with such knowhow, computers
are ready to create entire scripts leading
groups like the Writers Guild of America
to closely monitor developments. Most
experts agree AI use will be collaborative,
involving human and machine-made creative participation. At least for now.
That begs the question, "Where does
creativity come from?" Sony's CSL has
explored "styles" in musical performance, composing and painting. It
found that artists are "influenced" by
others as they develop their own unique
approach. Some experts say AI systems
will follow similar creative "style" paths.
David Leibowitz, former Recording
Industry Association of America vice
president and general counsel, says,
"Music in film and TV conveys specific
feelings to correspond to the particular
scene. AI can analyze vast libraries of
film and production music to produce
AI-generated music based on mood,
emotion, genre, reference decade,
tempo and lyrical summary."
That leaves room for machine-made
creativity, albeit facing as Leibowitz says,
"thorny rights, ownership and licensing
issues." And we still haven't truly figured
out the impact that AI will have on
directors, producers and performers.
I T I S I N N O VAT I O N

Mike Agliolo/Getty Images

A

rtificial intelligence (AI) software is editing films and
TV programs, writing music and handling cinematography. Studios, networks and production companies
are also exploring ways to use AI in script writing and distribution workflow. Creative ways to use AI, machine learning and
companion technologies are just beginning, often concerning
humans who thought their creative talents could not be
replaced by machines. Yet scripted programming and music on
streaming platforms are suited to computer-assisted creativity.



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