The role of Artificial Intelligence in the entertainment industry is substantial when we consider significant domains like Film and TV, Music, Gaming, AR and VR. In this rapidly transforming digital era, the entertainment industry stands at the forefront of innovation, led by Artificial Intelligence's transformative power. AI has been involved in various aspects of the entertainment industry so far. From revolutionising content creation to delivering personalised experiences, Artificial Intelligence has emerged as a game-changer in the entertainment industry.

The study

According to a recently released study, almost 62,000 entertainment jobs in California spanning film, TV, music and gaming will be disrupted by the emergence of Artificial Intelligence in the next three years. The published report says that AI will affect 204,000 entertainment jobs across the United States during the same time.

The study says a job is considered disrupted when a significant number of tasks within that role are consolidated, replaced or eliminated due to AI. CVL Economics, the consulting firm, surveyed 300 entertainment industry leaders, including C-Suite executives, senior executives,-mid-level managers and producers as a part of the study, which analyses the influence and implications of generative AI use in the business. The Animation Guild, the Concept Art Assn., the Human Artistry Campaign, and the National Cartoonist Society Foundation commissioned the report.

After several Animation Guild members expressed concerns about the threat of AI, the union intends to use the results of this study to inform its bargaining strategy and goals, said Brandon Jarratt, who serves on the Animation Guild's executive board and AI task force.

The jobs which AI will disrupt

As per the study, the jobs which are most likely to be affected by AI in the entertainment industry are 3D modelling, character and environment design, voice generation and cloning and compositing, followed by sound design, tools programming, script writing, animation and rigging, concept art or visual development and light/texture generation.

Almost a third of respondents expect that AI will replace 3-D modellers, sound editors, re-recording mixers, and broadcast, audio, and video technicians by 2026. A quarter of them predicted that sound designers, compositors and graphic designers would be affected, too. Only 15% of them highlighted storyboard artists, illustrators, animators, and look, surface and material artists as vulnerable to AI.

Music Industry

As per the study, the tasks most likely to be impacted by AI in the music and sound-recording industry are voice generation and cloning, music generation and recording, lyrics composition, and others like mastering, mixing, and tool programming. More than 50% of participants estimated that AI would replace sound designers in three years, while more than 40% saw AI for music editors, audio technicians and sound engineers. A third of respondents predicted a similar situation for songwriters, composers and studio engineers.

Gaming industry

When it comes to the gaming industry, 3-D modelling and concept art or visual development are the tasks most likely to be replaced by AI, which is followed by character and environment design, sound design, tools programming, voice generation, and cloning, the report states.

About a third of the industry leaders who participated in the survey said that jobs like software developers, sound editors, special effects artists, software analysts, and testers were at risk of AI displacement. At the same time, 20% thought 3-D artists, game designers, UI/UX designers and video game testers would be displaced.

In general, the study concludes that entry-level jobs in the entertainment industry will be disproportionately affected by the AI storm. 

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