During an earnings call with shareholders today, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the company’s streaming platform, Disney+, is preparing to expand with new elements — including ways for customers to share and create Disney-themed content with generative AI.
“The other thing we’re really excited about is that AI is going to give us the ability to do, is provide a more engaging experience for Disney+ users,” Iger told shareholders (via The Hollywood Reporter ).
According to the CEO, Disney+ will also soon include new gamified experiences as part of the studio’s partnership with Epic Games, which so far has mostly existed as a series of Disney collaborations. FortniteIncluding based on seasons star wars And simpsons, star wars season of Fortnite infamously introduced an AI-voiced Darth Vader companion, which had to be quickly updated when players began finding the late James Earl Jones-generated voice to use profanity.
Iger described these additions as “the biggest and most significant changes — from a product perspective, from a technology perspective — since we launched the service in 2019.”
Externally, Disney, like other Hollywood studios, has been openly enthusiastic about the rise of generative AI, joining with other studios like Universal and Warner Bros. to sue AI companies like MidJourney and MiniMax, arguing that their generative AI platforms are infringing on their copyrighted works by allowing users to create images of popular characters. But internally, beyond this new development, we’ve known for some time that Disney has been exploring the use of generic AI in its productions.
A Wall Street Journal report in August this year alleged that Disney executives had attempted to promote the use of generic AI systems on two of its projects, live-action. Moana Remakes and sequels Tron:aresOnly it was found that the use of the technology was hindered and was eventually removed from both films over a combination of Disney’s copyrights and concerns about potential public backlash.
It looks like Disney has started trying to address its concerns about the former. In today’s call, Iger said the studio had had “productive conversations” with AI companies (which, exactly, Iger did not disclose) before adding that he was hopeful those conversations could result in a deal that “will reflect our need to protect IP.” Disney has yet to address the public’s subsequent concern.
Disney subsidiary Marvel Studios is already facing blowback over the use of generative AI technology, first seen in 2023, when the studio was lambasted for the opening credits of the Samuel Jackson MCU vehicle. secret attackWhich were created with AI imagery. Earlier this year, Marvel had to defend itself from a backlash accusing a series of posters Fantastic Four: First Steps Special signs indicating the use of generative AI.
The move to test public reaction comes at a time when Disney has faced damage to public trust in the studio — partly due to liberal concerns over the company’s capitulation to a second Trump administration, and most recently when the studio faced a series of public boycotts over its decision to temporarily suspend late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over comments he made on the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
Will Grogu and Spider-Man’s ability to create supernatural short videos be enough? Disney appears to intend to find out.
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