Hollywood’s AI Invasion Has Already Begun—And You’re Late to the Party
ChatGPT: Curt Doty
Lights, Camera, Algorithm: The New Power Player in Tinseltown. Hollywood doesn’t have a choice anymore. AI has arrived—on set, in the writers’ room, inside the edit bay, behind the camera, and in the boardroom. Whether you see it as the villain in a dystopian reboot or the unsung hero behind the curtain, artificial intelligence is already reshaping the entertainment landscape. And no, it’s not just about ChatGPT generating fan fiction or some basement nerd feeding prompts into Midjourney for a fake movie poster.
This is about real adoption, real disruption, and real opportunity.
I’ve had the privilege (and the front-row seat) to this seismic shift - from the days of Pioneering Interactive movies at Universal to now running RealmIQ, an AI consultancy and Podcast where we talk to AI founders, Hollywood veterans, and technologists on the bleeding edge. Through RealmIQ Sessions, I’ve interviewed key players like Seth Hallen, Alex Serdiuk, Andy Beach, and Renard Jenkins and more - each bringing a vital POV to this unfolding story. Here’s what you need to know.
Hollywood's Technophobia (Again)
Let’s be clear: Hollywood has never loved change. Whether it was the introduction of sound, color, or digital cameras, the industry pushed back—until it couldn’t.
As Seth Hallen put it in our interview:
“AI is just the next chapter of technological evolution... no different from anything that’s happened in our business through the years.”
Exactly. When the talkies came, organists lost jobs. But sound engineers were born. That’s the story of Hollywood tech—displacement creates space for reinvention. And AI is no different.
Why AI Matters Now
The acceleration of GenAI (Generative AI) has cracked open the production pipeline. What used to require 100 artists and three years, now takes nine people and three months. Just ask DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, who predicted AI would slash animation costs by 90%. It’s already happening:
A feature-length animated film, Where the Robots Grow, was made using AI for just $700K.
Doug Shapiro, former Turner exec and media strategist, sees it clearly:
“GenAI could cause the cost to make the bits to go to zero.”
Let that sink in.
We’re not just talking cheaper visual effects or AI-script polishes. We’re talking about democratized storytelling—where anyone with talent and tools can compete with the studios. That’s not science fiction. That’s this fiscal quarter.
From Tools to Teammates
I’ve been saying this for a while: creative-centered AI is where the rubber meets the reel. This isn’t about replacing the artist. It’s about supercharging them.
Renard T. Jenkins, former Turner exec and a long-standing leader in the tech-creative intersection, told me:
“I’m a creative first and a curious engineer second. Technology is what I use to get my creativity out of my head and into the world.”
Exactly. This is a moment for the curious—those willing to explore, test, and push boundaries.
The Fear Is Real… But Misplaced
The panic from 2023’s double strike season was real—actors fearing AI replicas, writers afraid of prompt-engineered scripts stealing their IP. Valid concerns. But misdirected paranoia won’t protect jobs—adoption will.
Andy Beach, former CTO of Media & Entertainment at Microsoft, explained:
“We’re not even in full adoption mode yet. We’re still playing with AI... The real shift will happen when these tools are integrated directly into the workflows.”
He’s right. This isn’t about moonlighting AI on the side. It’s about embedding it. From transcriptions and metadata tagging to content previews, casting decisions, and marketing personalization—AI is already in the call sheet.
Let’s Talk Ethics (Because Hollywood Must)
Look, I’m not some AI apologist. The ethical stakes are huge. From training data scraped without consent to resurrecting dead actors without estate approvals, we’re in a moral grey zone.
But some companies are doing it right. Enter Alex Serdiuk, CEO of Respeecher, who built voice cloning tech used in The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and even Oscar-bound dramas. His model is built on consent and transparency:
“Permission is the very starting point. We refuse any project where the voice owner hasn’t explicitly approved it.”
They even walked away from gigs tied to questionable figures—even if they had consent. That’s how you earn trust in this new era.
What Hollywood Needs to Survive
AI Literacy in the C-Suite
Studio execs need to know more than “AI makes it cheaper.” They must understand how to integrate it responsibly—from budgeting and development to marketing and distribution.Collaboration with Creatives
The best AI work is coming from veterans: seasoned editors, VFX artists, animators. People with taste. People who understand pacing, nuance, and tone. The idea that AI is making slop is true—but only when slop-makers are the ones using it.Policy and IP Clarity
We need real legislation. Andy Beach said it best:
“There has to be a rights agreement in place... Just like music licensing or distribution deals.”
And don’t wait for the feds. California and the EU are moving faster. Studios and creators must proactively build policies now.
World-Building, Not Just Storytelling
As Renard T. Jenkins reminded me:
“Filmmaking is collaboration. It’s world-building. And AI lets those who can’t draw still create compelling visual stories.”
The future is transmedia, cross-platform, character-driven ecosystems. Not just one-off films. AI is a sandbox for that.
The Democratization of Hollywood
Here’s the dirty little secret: the “creator economy” is eating Hollywood’s lunch. According to Shapiro, social video now commands 25% of all video time in the U.S., while legacy studios struggle to stay solvent.
The next Kubrick might be a teenager in Mumbai with Runway, ElevenLabs, and a killer story.
Because guess what? Viewers don’t care how a film was made. They care if it makes them feel something. That’s your job, Hollywood.
Final Cut: The Human Element Is the Main Character
The promise of AI in film is seductive: blockbuster-quality visuals, no studio required. Just a laptop, a prompt, and presto—instant spectacle.
But let’s not mistake speed for substance.
AI can churn out shots. It can mimic mood boards. It can build entire worlds. But it can’t make you feel something unless a human puts feeling into it. A creative centered approach to AI is what is necessary.
Because cinema isn’t just a sequence of beautiful frames. It’s intention. It's tension. It's risk. A blockbuster isn’t just VFX and volume—it’s a reflection of our collective psyche. The ones that stay with us don’t just dazzle; they mean something.
And meaning doesn’t come from algorithms. It comes from life.
AI may democratize the tools—but only artists can create work that resonates. Not prompt jockeys chasing aesthetics, but storytellers with guts, taste, and soul.
So no, AI won’t end Hollywood. But it will expose who’s phoning it in.
This moment demands more from creatives—not less. If you’ve got a vision, AI can amplify it. But if you don’t, it’ll show.
That’s the real disruption.
Because in the new Hollywood, anyone can generate content.
But only the human ones will make it unforgettable.
Podcast Sources:
Alex Serdiuk https://youtu.be/sqr9jE8ir6c
Renard T. Jenkins https://youtu.be/gmOSgWZH-V0
Seth Hallen https://youtu.be/72uI-LrQwX8
Andy Beach https://youtu.be/9m6zBCIZHNg
About the Author
Curt Doty, founder of CurtDoty.co, is an award winning creative director whose legacy lies in branding, product development, social strategy, integrated marketing, and User Experience Design. His work of entertainment branding includes Electronic Arts, EA Sports, ProSieben, SAT.1, WBTV Latin America, Discovery Health, ABC, CBS, A&E, StarTV, Fox, Kabel 1, and TV Guide Channel.
He has extensive experience on AI-driven platforms MidJourney, Adobe Firefly, ChatGPT, Perplexity, HeyGen, Descript and OpusClips. He also runs his AI consultancy RealmIQ and companion podcast RealmIQ: Sessions on YouTube and Spotify.
As a new writer, he released his first novella Griffin and the Dark Secret on Amazon under his imprint MediaSlam Press and is working on the second installment Griffin: Future Past.
He is a sought after public speaker having been featured at Streaming Media NYC, Digital Hollywood, Mobile Growth Association, Mobile Congress, App Growth Summit, Promax, CES, CTIA, NAB, NATPE, MMA Global, New Mexico Angels, Santa Fe Business Incubator, EntrepeneursRx, Davos Worldwide, NMPRSA, Robert Half, and AI Impact. He has lectured at universities including Full Sail, SCAD, Art Center College of Design, CSUN and Chapman University.
He currently serves on the board of the Godfrey Reggio Foundation and is the AI Writer for Parlay Me.
