ITV are searching for an ‘AI expert’ to ‘create TV shows, films and digital content’, and to use this possibly baleful new algorithmic technology for ‘character development’ and ‘ideation’. The successful applicant will be ideating away for a tidy salary of up to £95,000 per annum.
AI could be a game-changer for TV and film, and not the good kind as far as workers in the industry are concerned. It’s taken a long while for technology to mount a serious threat to the sector, though its knock-on effect has been one of the big reasons that the quality of TV and film has declined in recent years. People who would previously, pre-internet, have gravitated into print journalism, or publishing, or even the music business, have instead swamped TV, where there is still money sloshing about. These people wanted TV to be cool, which is the last thing a mass medium should be.
Why hire writers, actors, directors and producers at huge expense – in fact, why hire anybody – when you can just press send on a prompt?
But AI could kick away that last refuge for the creative classes.
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