Last summer, Amazon MGM Studios launched a dedicated AI Studio to develop proprietary AI tools to streamline TV and film production, with a focus on areas like improving character consistency across shots and supporting pre- and post-production.
According to a report from Reuters, those 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 anticipates sharing initial outcomes from the program by May. The company chose not to provide further details on the developments when approached by TechCrunch for a comment.
The AI Studio is collaborating with notable producers like Robert Stromberg, known for “Maleficent,” Kunal Nayyar from “The Big Bang Theory,” and former animator Colin Brady from Pixar to learn the best way to 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 to replace them. The focus is on improving efficiency and reducing costs while ensuring that intellectual property is protected and AI-generated content isn’t absorbed into other AI models. One example used is Amazon’s “House of David” series, which featured 350 AI-generated shots in season two.
However, the rise of adoption of AI in Hollywood has stirred up plenty of debate. Many people in the industry worry about what it means for jobs, creativity, and the future of filmmaking.
The conversations around AI are only getting louder as more companies experiment with these new tools. For instance, Netflix has also jumped on the AI bandwagon, with Co-CEO Ted Sarandos revealing that its series “The Eternaut” used generative AI to create a building collapse scene.
In recent years, Amazon has cited its success with AI as a factor in layoffs. The company recently eliminated 16,000 jobs in January, following 14,000 layoffs last October.
