Hollywood directors Anthony and Joe Russo are building a high-tech studio aimed at harnessing AI to empower artists rather than replace them. According to technology journalist Christopher Mims of The Wall Street Journal, the directors of “Avengers: Endgame” are investing in AI technology that could help filmmakers create content on smaller budgets.
The Russos received $400 million from Japanese videogame maker Nexon in 2022 for a minority stake in their production studio, Agbo. This funding is enabling them to develop in-house AI tools focused on streamlining the creative process rather than replacing human artists.
“Artists need to lead the innovation, so that the technology is created to serve artists, and not vice versa,” Joe Russo told Mims. The brothers fear that if corporations develop media-creation technology, they will focus on replacing artists instead of enhancing their work.
Their recent Netflix film “The Electric State” reflects their complex relationship with technology, depicting screen addiction and featuring a tech mogul character that resembles several real-world tech leaders. The movie was made without AI but informed their thinking about technology’s potential impacts.
To advance their AI initiatives, the Russos hired Dominic Hughes, who previously led AI and language model implementation at Apple News, as their chief scientific officer. Hughes believes Silicon Valley companies are using generative AI incorrectly, focusing on accuracy instead of creativity where AI’s “hallucination” can be beneficial.
The brothers are also exploring “transmedia” approaches, creating digital assets that can be used across movies, games, and other media formats to control ballooning production costs.
