Amazon will begin testing AI tools for film and TV production next month

Last summer, Amazon MGM Studios launched a dedicated AI studio to develop proprietary AI tools to streamline TV and film production, focusing on areas such as improving character consistency across shots and supporting pre- and post-production.

According to a report from Reuters, these tools are now ready to move beyond internal testing. Amazon will begin a closed beta program in March, inviting industry partners to try out its AI tools.

Amazon said it expects to share initial results from the program by May. The company chose not to provide further details about the developments when contacted by TechCrunch for comment.

The AI ​​studio is collaborating with prominent producers such as Robert Stromberg, known for “Maleficent,” Kunal Nayyar of “The Big Bang Theory,” and former Pixar animator Colin Brady, to figure out how to best implement these tools. Amazon is also tapping Amazon Web Services for support and intends to work with several LLM providers.

Albert Cheng, who heads the AI ​​Studios Initiative, emphasized that the goal is to support creative teams, not replace them. The focus is on improving efficiency and reducing costs while ensuring that intellectual property is protected and that AI-generated content is not absorbed into other AI models. One example used is Amazon’s “House of David” series, which included 350 AI-generated shots in season two.

However, the emergence of artificial intelligence in Hollywood has sparked a lot of controversy. Many in the industry are concerned about what this means for jobs, creativity and the future of filmmaking.

Conversations around AI are heating up as more companies try out these new tools. For example, Netflix has also jumped on the AI ​​bandwagon, with co-CEO Ted Sarandos revealing that its series “The Eternaut” used AI to create a building collapse scene.

In recent years, Amazon has cited its success in artificial intelligence as a factor in layoffs. The company recently cut 16,000 jobs in January, after laying off 14,000 workers last October.