The Indian film industry is no stranger to Hollywood's influence and its latest challenge - the ongoing Hollywood actors' strike. Hollywood is currently at a standstill as thousands of actors take to the streets, demanding better pay and enhanced benefits. Their concerns about the threat of Artificial Intelligence (AI) have not been assuaged by the major studios, leading to the current impasse.
Among the contentious issues are claims that background performers might have their images scanned and used in future productions without consent or fair compensation. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) has denied these allegations, but the actors remain convinced of the potential dangers posed by AI.
Back home in India, the winds of change have also started to blow, with the Indian film industry, Mollywood, taking note of the developments in Hollywood. Although some actors in India consider AI to be in its early stages, there is no denying the growing presence of deep-fakes, which recently caught attention through a viral video recreating an iconic Godfather scene with Mollywood stars. This video sparked discussions about AI's scope and potential threats to the industry.
Acclaimed actor-director-screenwriter Murali Gopy acknowledges that AI is an evolving science. While there is no need for immediate paranoia, he recognises the growing concern due to its rapid evolution. Gopy believes that AI, like Chat GPT, has not yet reached the level of human creative genius. While Chat GPT can generate content from various sources, it is not, according to him, a genuinely creative medium.
Actor-turned-scriptwriter Lenaa encourages her peers not to fear change. She embraces the many avenues for actors to showcase their talents, including YouTube, series, short films, and traditional cinema. Lenaa envisions AI as a tool that can handle the menial tasks in filmmaking, allowing actors to concentrate more on unleashing their creativity.
Although AI has made remarkable strides in many aspects of film production, one crucial area it has yet to fully master is creating original content. AI tools often rely on existing material to generate something new, a factor that might explain why Mollywood actors do not feel threatened by AI. Actor, director, and screenwriter Joy Mathew, who has experimented with AI tools like Chat GPT, argues that AI's current limitations open up opportunities for artists to produce unique and soulful works that AI-generated content might lack.
Nevertheless, Mathew does express caution, as he believes that the advancement of AI could lead to the exploitation of creative work and identities. Safeguarding against this potential threat will be essential as AI technology progresses.
Meanwhile, actress Rajisha Vijayan offers a different perspective, suggesting that Mollywood's focus on small-budget, realistic, and emotion-oriented films makes it less likely for filmmakers in this industry to adopt costly AI tools to replace actors and technicians. For now, Mollywood appears relatively immune to AI's influence, but as technology continues to evolve, the dynamics might shift.
As Hollywood grapples with an actors' strike and the looming spectre of AI, Mollywood stands at a crossroads, contemplating how to embrace technological advancements while preserving the essence of human creativity and emotion that defines their cinema. The Indian film industry, with its unique challenges and opportunities, will undoubtedly forge its path amidst the global transformation AI brings in cinema.
