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Artificial intelligence companies are plundering 130,000 film and TV scripts to train their models in a raid on copyrighted material that poses a “direct threat” to the future of the UK screen sector, according to the British Film Institute.
In a wide-ranging report analysing the benefits and threats posed by AI to the UK’s film, TV, video game and visual special effects industries, the BFI also raises fears that automation will eliminate the entry-level jobs that bring in the next generation of workers.
It says the “primary issue” facing the £125bn industry is the use of intellectual property (IP) to train generative AI models without payment to, or permission from, rights holders.
The UK creative industries want to see an “opt-in” regime, forcing AI companies to seek permission and strike licensing deals before they can use content, and the government is currently in the process of considering what legislation to put in place.
“AI offers significant opportunities for the screen sector such as speeding up production workflows, democratising content creation and empowering new voices,” said Rishi Coupland, director of research and innovation at the BFI. “However, it could also erode traditional business models, displace skilled workers, and undermine public trust in screen content.”
While the report acknowledges the technological benefits of AI – such as being able to de-age actors and improving the authenticity of accents, as was used controversially in Adrien Brody’s Oscar-winning film The Brutalist – it also cites fears of job losses.
Tasks such as writing, translation and some technical visual effects and character animation can now be automated, “prompting fears of obsolescence among professionals” amid concerns that AI could take over the jobs once done by the sector’s youngest workers.
“AI’s ability to automate tasks raises fears of job losses, particularly for junior or entry-level positions,” the report says. “Training and upskilling are seen as essential to prepare the workforce for AI integration.”
However, the report, published in partnership with Goldsmiths, Loughborough and Edinburgh universities, warns of a “critical shortfall” in AI training provision.
“AI education in the UK screen sector is currently more ‘informal’ than ‘formal’,” the report says. “And many workers – particularly freelancers – lack access to resources that would support them to develop skills complementary to AI.”
More than 13,000 creative technology companies are based in the UK, including more than 4,000 businesses focused on applying emerging technologies across film, games and other creative subsectors.
London is the world’s second largest hub after Mumbai for visual effects professionals globally, home to leading businesses including Framestore, whose credits include Avengers: Endgame and the BBC’s adaptation of His Dark Materials.
The report also acknowledges that AI is likely to significantly benefit the industry by lowering barriers for creators “regardless of budget or experience”.
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“This could empower a new wave of British creators to produce high-quality content with modest resources,” it says.
The 45-page report makes nine recommendations including establishing a market for IP licensing and training, the development of “market-preferred, culturally inclusive AI tools” and more investment in the sector and skills training.
The report was also produced in conjunction with the CoStar Foresight Lab, the £75.6m national network of laboratories that is developing new technology for the industry.
“AI offers powerful tools to enhance creativity, efficiency, and competitiveness across every stage of the production workflow,” said Jonny Freeman, director of CoStar. “From script development and pre-production planning, through on-set production, to post-production and distribution. However, it also raises urgent questions around skills, workforce adaptation, ethics and sector sustainability.”
Last week, the BBC director general and the boss of Sky criticised proposals to let tech firms use copyright-protected work without permission, while Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, tried to reassure the creative industry that it would not be harmed by future AI legislation.
“We approach you with no preferred option in mind,” she said, delivering a keynote speech at the Deloitte Enders conference. “We are a Labour government, and the principle [that] people must be paid for their work is foundational. You have our word that if it doesn’t work for the creative industries, it will not work for us.”
