It feels like every company is starting to use artificial intelligence (AI), and we’re all trying to figure out if this is a good or bad thing.

©Disney

During an Earnings Call for Quarter 3, the Walt Disney Company spoke out about its use of AI currently and in the future.

Bob Iger, CEO of the Walt Disney Company, mentioned that they’ve been in talks with AI companies to protect the value of their own intellectual property (IP) while seeking opportunities to use AI technology to increase consumer engagement. He also mentioned they’re seeking these opportunities not just to make processes more efficient but also with Cast Members, guests, and consumers.

The Walt Disney Company headquarters in California

One big project they’re working on is creating a one-app experience in which Disney+ serves as a portal to all things Disney. He went on to add that there would be opportunities for commerce and engagement for people to go to Disney Parks and on Disney Cruise Line, as well as an opportunity for games and partnerships with the Epic Games integration.

©Disney

Iger specifically mentioned how he’s excited about AI providing users with engaged experiences, including the opportunity to create and consume user-generated content from others, including short-form.

©Disney

While all of this sounds exciting, should Disney be using AI to achieve that? Experts say there are pros and cons to using AI, but one of the bigger concerns is its impact on employment. The Walt Disney Company is no stranger to layoffs, having laid off several hundred employees this year. Most years, there are some layoffs in a variety of departments, including Disney Parks, Disney Studios, and Disney Entertainment.

Disney Cast Members

In June, many of the laid-off employees were from Disney Entertainment Television, and in March, they were from Disney’s ABC News Group and Disney’s Entertainment Newworks Unit. The idea of using AI comes up often in movies and television, but with the employees being laid off, should Disney focus on increasing employment or efficient production? Of course, we also can’t forget about the 7,000 employees laid off in 2023.

Disney Animation at D23 2022

The project also talks about an opportunity to create and consume user-generated content, including short-form content. That sounds a lot like social media, especially TikTok and YouTube, the two platforms that rely on video content. Incorporating this into Disney+ is certainly an interesting concept, and it sounds like Disney+ could feature Disney’s own content as well as content from other creators. It would be a one-stop shop where you could have everything in one place, including the option to purchase items.

©Disney || Disney+

AI feels like the future, but the Walt Disney Company itself has had issues with AI. The company has sued multiple AI companies before for using its intellectual property and displaying AI-generated images featuring its copyrighted characters. One of their concerns with an AI company, MiniMax, was that it’s “only a matter of time until Hailuo AI can generate unauthorized, infringing videos” that are “substantially longer, and even eventually the same duration as a movie or television program.”

Movie theater

The Motion Picture Association, another group that sued the AI company alongside Disney, said it was concerned that “copyright infringement, left unchecked, threatens the entire American motion picture industry.” The AI company has a tag line of “Hollywood studio in your pocket.”

It seems like the Walt Disney Company is opposed to AI in certain situations but is okay when it’s behind the content. It will be interesting to see how the company continues to use AI across its various segments, including TV and movies, Disney Parks and Experiences, and more.

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What are your thoughts? Should Disney use AI? Tell us in the comments.