The use of content generated by artificial intelligence remains a controversial topic in the film and television industry, and Amazon's Prime Video reignited the debate after rolling out a new feature.
What's happening?
As explained by Dexerto, Prime Video announced on Nov. 4 that it has launched X-Ray Recaps, which provide users with AI-generated TV recaps for its original shows.
Amazon explained its reason for the new feature by stating, "While your initial instinct may be to rewind or search online for a summary, this approach is inconvenient and takes you away from the streaming experience. You also run the risk of encountering a spoiler or rewatching parts you've already seen."
While the company's thought process might have been well-intentioned, the move is yet another example of how evolving technology can have unforeseen consequences. In response to the news, many commenters raised concerns about the effects of AI-generated content.
According to Dexerto, users on X, formerly known as Twitter, made comments such as, "Why is it always AI man," "Soon we won't have to do anything for ourselves… even remember," and "They can't hire someone for this?"
However, the debate wasn't completely negative, as some commenters acknowledged that X-Ray Recaps simply cannot be achieved by a human workforce, particularly because the AI tool would be generating the recaps based on specific requests.
"I'm one of the biggest AI haters out there but I'm not completely against this," one commenter stated. "It isn't taking a job from a creative or anybody and is quite frankly being used to do something that would be hard anyway. I just hope they still write the singular episode information themselves, I don't exactly want to scroll through services and see a bunch of AI writing when it doesn't need to be."
And if the goal is to avoid spoilers, certainly default episode descriptions would be a risky place to use AI — but to that commenter's point, AI providing a summary answer to a targeted question could be a reasonable use of the technology and might prove useful for certain types of information about the show or film.
Why is this important?
As Dexerto noted, the increasing number of companies committing to utilizing AI-generated content raises "concerns about job displacement, ethical considerations, and the potential for bias in AI systems."
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For example, Coca-Cola recently came under fire for using AI to create its annual Christmas commercial this year. Many criticized the usually heartwarming advertisement as lacking the same magic as its predecessors, with some even calling the commercial "soulless."
In addition to the ethical questions surrounding AI-generated content, there's also an environmental impact that should garner more attention. Researchers have determined that generating 1,000 images using AI would cause the same amount of planet-warming carbon pollution as driving 4.1 miles in a gas-powered car. Also, a study found that data centers using AI technology could cause a significant spike in energy use by 2027, as they would require the same amount of electricity used to power a small country.
What's being done about this?
It appears that Prime Video's AI-generated recaps are here to stay for the time being. Rapidly changing industries have caused companies to rely heavily on new technology to avoid being left in the past.
Still, as these industries explore these new frontiers, creators must balance technological advancements with creative integrity, ensuring that stories remain compelling and genuine in order to ease the concerns about the consequences of evolving technology.
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