Hollywood’s relationship with artificial intelligence is fraught as studios balance the need to cut costs with growing concerns among actors, directors and crew. But in China, efforts to use AI in entertainment are taking a more hands-off approach.
The China Film Foundation, a non-profit foundation run by the Chinese government, plans to use AI to revive 100 kung fu classics, including “Police Story,” “Once Upon a Time in China” and “Fisty of Fuse,” starring Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Bruce Lee, respectively. The foundation said it will work with companies including Shanghai Canxing Culture & Media Co., which will license 100 Hong Kong films to AI companies to reintroduce them to younger audiences around the world.
Chow Yun-Fat stars in director John Woo’s film “A Better Tomorrow” in 1986.
(Movie City)
The foundation said there are opportunities to use AI to tell these stories through animation, for example. It plans to release an animated version of director John Woo’s 1986 film “A Better Tomorrow,” which uses AI to “reinterpret” Woo’s “signature visual language,” according to an English transcript of the announcement.
“By making cultural storytelling possible with technology, we can breathe new life into classics and tell China’s stories further and louder,” said Zhang Piming, chairman of the China Film Foundation, at the Shanghai International Film Festival earlier this month.
The project raised eyebrows among our artists, many of whom are very wary of using AI in creative endeavors.
The Directors Guild of America said AI is a creative tool that should only be used to enhance the creative storytelling process and “should never be used retroactively to distort or destroy a filmmaker’s artistic work.”
“The DGA strongly opposes the use of AI or any other technology to distort a film or alter a director’s vision,” the DGA said in a statement. “The Guild has a long history of opposing such changes to matters such as colorization or sanitization of films to remove so-called ‘objectionable content’ or other changes that fundamentally alter the original style, meaning, or essence of a film.”
The project highlights widely divergent views on the potential of AI to transform entertainment as the two countries vie for dominance in the highly competitive AI space. In the US, much of the traditional entertainment industry has taken a hard line against generative AI, due to concerns about protecting intellectual property and labor relations.
While some Hollywood studios, such as Lionsgate and Blumhouse, have partnered with AI companies, others are reluctant to announce partnerships, risking alienating talent who are concerned about how AI could be used to alter their digital likeness without proper compensation.
But other countries, like China, have fewer protectors, which has led entertainment companies to experiment more with the technology.
Many people in China are accepting of AI, with 83% feeling confident that AI systems are designed to act in the public interest, much higher than in the US, where it is 37%, according to a United Nations Development Programme survey.
Fonda paziņojums bija pārsteigums Bruce Lee Enterprises, kas pārrauga Lī līdzības likumīgu izmantošanu radošajos darbos.
Brūsa Lī ģimene “iepriekš nezināja par šo attīstību un šobrīd vāc informāciju”, sacīja pārstāvis.
Woo, rakstiskā paziņojumā, sacīja, ka nav dzirdējis no fonda par AI pārtaisījumu, atzīmējot, ka tiesības uz “labāku rītdienu” ir vairākas reizes mainījušas rokas.
“Es nebiju īsti iesaistīts projektā, jo neesmu ļoti pazīstams ar AI tehnoloģiju,” Vū sacīja paziņojumā laikrakstam The Times. “Tomēr es esmu ļoti ieinteresēts par iznākumu un tā ietekmi uz manu oriģinālo filmu.”
Deivids Či, kurš pārstāv Ķīnas Filmas fonda īpašo filmu un pilsētu attīstības fondu, intervijā sacīja, ka Čans apzinās projektu un viņš plāno sarunāties ar Čana komandu. Čana pārstāvis neatbildēja uz komentāru pieprasījumu.
“Mums ir jārunā … ļoti īpaši, kā mēs izmantojam animētu vai AI esošo tehnoloģiju un kā tas apvienotos ar viņa attēla tiesībām un biznesa tiesībām,” sacīja Či. Či nebija tūlītējas reakcijas uz DGA, Brūsa Lī uzņēmumiem un Woo paziņojumiem.
AI jau Ķīnā jau tiek izmantots skriptu izstrādei, satura mērenībai un ieteikumiem un tulkošanai. Pēcprodukcijā AI ir samazinājis laiku, lai pabeigtu vizuālo efektu darbu no dienām līdz stundām, sacīja, ka festivāla laikā piezīmēs Nacionālās radio un televīzijas administrācijas pētniecības centrā Tao.
“Visās valdības aģentūrās, satura platformās un ražošanas iestādēs entuziasms adoptēt un integrēt AI nekad nav bijis stiprāks,” viņš teica.
Projekta paziņojuma laikā atbalstītāji atzina iespēju AI sniegs Ķīnai, lai turpinātu savu kultūras vēstījumu visā pasaulē un radītu jaunu darbu radošajiem. Tajā pašā laikā viņi atzina AI traucējumus par filmu veidošanas procesu, sakot, ka “labāka rītdiena” pārtaisījums tika pabeigts tikai ar 30 cilvēkiem, kas ir ievērojami mazāk nekā tipisks animēts projekts.
Ķīna ir “brutālāka sabiedrība šajā ziņā”, sacīja Ēriks Harvits, Havaju universitātes Manoa Āzijas studiju profesors. “Ja kāds zaudē savu darbu, jo tiek pārņemts mākslīgais intelekts, labi, ka tas ir tikai Ķīnas virzības uz priekšu izmaksas. Viņiem nav šāda veida nožēlas par to, ka cilvēki zaudē darbu un ir mazāk iespēju organizētam protestam pret Ķīnas valdību.”
Aina no filmas “Reiz Ķīnā”.
(Zelta raža)
Holivudas ģildes, piemēram, Sag-Aftra, ir izteikti par kaitējumu, ko AI varētu būt par darbu un ir cīnījies par aizsardzību pret AI līgumos TV šovos, filmās un videospēlēs. Arodbiedrības ir arī pamudinājušas valsts un federālos likumdevējus izveidot likumus, kas cilvēkiem sniegtu lielāku aizsardzību pret dziļiem viltojumiem, vai arī video, kas manipulēja, lai parādītu personu, kas apstiprina ideju vai produktu, kuru viņi faktiski neatbalsta. Ķīnā tam nav ekvivalenta.
“You don’t have these free-standing labor organizations, so they don’t have that kind of influence to protest the Chinese using artificial intelligence in a way that could reduce their job opportunities, or cause layoffs in the industry,” Harvits added.
U.S. studios are also taking to court to challenge the ways AI companies train their models with copyrighted material. Earlier this month, Walt Disney Co. and Universal Pictures sued AI startup Midjourney, alleging it used the technology to generate images that copied the studios’ famous characters, including Yoda and Shrek.
In China, officials involved in a project to remaster Kung Fu Films said they are looking to partner with AI companies. They said AI will be used to add “stunning realism” to the films. They plan to create “immersive viewing experiences,” such as walking through a bamboo forest duel and “a sense of the philosophy of movement and stillness.” In areas such as animation, new environments could be created with AI, Chi said.
“We offer full access to our IP, platform and adaptation rights to partners around the world – with the aim of delivering richer, more diverse and high-quality AI-enhanced film works to global audiences,” Tian Ming, chairman of Shanghai Canxing Culture & Media Co., said earlier this month. Tian said there is no cap on revenue sharing, and it is allocating about $14 million to invest in selected projects and share profits.
Kung Fu revival efforts will expand into other areas, including the creation of a martial arts video game.
Industry observers said it was wise for China to return to the well of popular martial arts classics from Hong Kong, which have inspired U.S. action films for decades.
There’s also not as much risk involved in China, said Simon Pullman, a partner at law firm Pryor Cashman.
“They have very little to lose by doing this,” Pullman said. “If it can potentially enhance the value of these films, there’s very little downside to them.”
China’s film industry has grown significantly compared to decades ago, fueled by the proliferation of movie theaters, including IMAX screens, in the country.
China’s box office used to rely heavily on U.S. productions, such as the Fast & Furious and Marvel franchises, but now domestic films dominate the market. Chinese animated film “Ne Zha 2” grossed $2.2 billion worldwide.
But these Chinese productions don’t typically draw large U.S. audiences when they’re released in the States. Classic martial arts films, however, have a global following and a lasting legacy.
“People love martial arts movies because the action travels,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at ComScore. “It doesn’t matter what language it’s in, as long as you have great action sequences and great fight sequences.”
