Artificial intelligence transforms in depth the cultural industry : it opens up new creative perspectives, stimulates the creativity of artists, reinvents the way in which culture is produced and consumed. In this article, I suggest you address this subject, which may be useful to you in English lessons or in essays to address the subject of artificial intelligence under a slightly more original prism.
Context and issues
The use of algorithms in the cultural industry is not a recent phenomenon
In 1972, the artist Harold Cohen developed a series of computer programs called AARON in order to create original designs. Its software is capable of producing thousands of distinct images from styles and images previously coded by the programmer. The “works” generated by AARON were then exhibited in art galleries. Today, the situation has evolved: the AI is trained on a large dataset of images and associated text, and learns to associate words with visual concepts. She can therefore produce an infinite number of images from a simple query.
Likewise, computers have already helped in musical creation
In the 1950s, la RCA Corporation developed le projet Mark II Sound Synthesizerone of the first electronic synthesizers that used perforated strips of paper to encode musical compositions. This project aimed to automate music creation by statistically analyzing popular melodies to compose new works.
The different uses of AI in the field of the cultural industry
AI helps find new sources of inspiration and create artistic content
In cinema, artificial intelligence is used to write scripts based on the analysis of existing scenarioswhich makes planning shoots easier and speeds up the writing process. AI also helps in the selection of actors and the creation of digital characters, and thus offers the possibility of creating or rejuvenating faces for the roles. For example, the film Here carried out in 2024 by Robert Zemeckis brings together the actors of Forrest Grumpwhich have been rejuvenated thanks to a new artificial intelligence tool called Metaphysic Live. This technology makes it possible to rejuvenate the actors in real time during filming, thus avoiding long hours of editing and special effects.
In the music industry, AI also contributes to significant time savings. AI, using learning algorithms, can generate new music and thus improve the creative process. In 2012, Sony CSL, Sony’s fundamental research laboratory, launched an artificial intelligence-assisted music production application called Flow Machines. The latter uses learning algorithms to analyze thousands of songs from various genres and styles. Using this data, the system is able to generate new compositions by imitating the musical styles it has learned. Users can influence the process by providing style examples or setting certain preferences to guide composition. The project gained attention with the release of the song “Daddy’s Car”inspired by the Beatles, which was entirely composed by AI, but arranged and produced by Benoît Carré, a French composer.
AI personalizes user experience
On streaming platforms like Spotify, Deezer or Netflix, artificial intelligence is used in recommendation algorithms in order to personalize suggestions based on user preferences.
AI saves time during editing and post-production
AI identifies the best takes, synchronizes video and audio, suggests cuts and edits. It can also track the movements of objects or people across scenes, making it easier to apply special effects or corrections.
For example, Disney created an AI in 2022 called FRAN (Facial Re-aging Network) to age or rejuvenate the actors. This AI is a real revolution since it allows realistic results to be obtained in a very short time. Indeed, aging or rejuvenating an actor requires either complex makeup or meticulous post-production work by special effects artists. These methods are very time-consuming. FRAN automates this process, analyzing the actor’s face and applying necessary changes almost instantly.
AI as a marketing tool
Artificial intelligence could make it possible to evaluate the success of a film still in production and to predict its commercial potential. This is the tool that Sami Arpa developed with his start-up Largo.
Ethical and social debates around AI
Copyright management
When AI generates a work, the question of copyright ownership becomes complex : do the rights belong to the creator of the AI, to the user who commissioned the work, or to the AI itself? Copyright protects original works that demonstrate genuine human creativity. But what happens when the works are produced by an AI, which draws inspiration from thousands of other creations to generate content? In 2023, the United States Copyright Office ruled that an AI-generated image was ineligible for copyright protection. Stephen Thaleran AI inventor, attempted to register a painting titled A Recent Entrance to Paradise under copyright, but a federal judge ruled that human intervention was essential for a work to be protected.
These debates raise key questions that could reshape the legal framework for copyright allocation in the future.
Protection of the image of artists
The 188-day strike led by SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and the Writers’ Guild of America between July and November 2023 shows how artificial intelligence is a cause for concern in the field. Actors have expressed their fears regarding the use of their image by AI, in particular to create misleading videos or to make actors younger, as observed in certain productions. In response, a new deal with Hollywood studios was established, including safeguards around the use of AI and a compensation model tailored for performances on streaming platforms, where actor salaries differ significantly from those of Hollywood.
Regulation
In May 2023, American politicians proposed two bills that were largely ignored. The first, presented by Joseph Morellea Democrat, aims to ban the sharing of deepfake pornography without consent, allowing victims to sue the creators and distributors of this type of content. However, no further action has been taken since. For her part, the Democratic representative Yvette D. Clarke of New York tried to pass the “Deepfakes Accountability Act”which would impose regulations on the creation of AI-generated content, but this project has not been discussed. In the same month, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, told Congress that regulation was essential to minimizing the risks associated with AI and realizing its promises.
Co-creation: the future of the cultural industry?
An avenue that you could explore in part 3 is that of co-creation. In this process, AI plays a supporting role by generating ideas and suggestions, while the artist remains in control of the creative direction. The artist configures the parameters, selects from the AI’s suggestions, and integrates these contributions into an overall artistic vision. A prominent example is the work of Chinese-Canadian artist Sougwen Chung, who developed a collaborative practice with robotic systems and artificial intelligence algorithms. Based in London, she considers technology to be a true creative partner, capable of assisting her in real time in the development of her works.
Conclusion
In a conference or in an essay, it is important to always address the positive and useful aspects of AI, as well as the threats it represents. But we must not stop there: this intrinsic duality leads quite logically towards a third part “regulation” or “how to get the best from AI”. You can also read this article to learn more about how to talk about artificial intelligence in your English copy.
