Movies

AI is controversial in Hollywood. For China’s film business, it’s no holds barred

BBG News

In the realm of Hollywood, my role finds me navigating a complex dance between economy and apprehension regarding artificial intelligence. Studios and I alike are striving to trim costs, yet we’re also grappling with increasing unease from actors, directors, and colleagues. However, in China, the approach towards utilizing AI in entertainment appears to be bolder, eschewing conventional restraints.

The China Film Foundation, a charitable organization backed by the Chinese government, intends to employ Artificial Intelligence (AI) to breathe new life into 100 iconic kung fu films such as “Police Story,” “Once Upon a Time in China,” and “Fist of Fury,” starring Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Bruce Lee respectively. The foundation has announced its intention to collaborate with businesses like Shanghai Canxing Culture & Media Co., who will grant licenses for 100 Hong Kong films to AI companies, allowing them to reintroduce these movies to a younger generation worldwide.

The organization mentioned possibilities of employing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to narrate stories via animation. It’s been proposed to unveil an animated adaptation of John Woo’s 1986 film “A Better Tomorrow,” using AI to reimagine John Woo’s distinctive visual style, as per the English translation of the announcement.

At the Shanghai International Film Festival, Zhang Pimin, chairperson of the China Film Foundation, stated that by integrating technology with cultural narratives, we can revitalize classic tales and amplify China’s stories on a wider scale.

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Google is sponsoring short movies that steer clear of AI apocalypse narratives, instead focusing on exploring the positive aspects of this technology.

Critics among American artists have shown skepticism towards this project, as they harbor significant concerns about the role of artificial intelligence in artistic endeavors.

According to the Directors Guild of America, Artificial Intelligence (AI) serves as a creative aid that should primarily boost the artistic storytelling experience. They also emphasized that AI must never be employed post-production to alter or damage a filmmaker’s original creative vision.

The Directors Guild of America (DGA) firmly disagrees with the application of AI or any similar technology to manipulate a movie or distort a director’s artistic intent. In a statement, they emphasized their long-standing stance against such modifications, citing examples like colorization or censorship of films to remove ‘controversial content’, as well as any alterations that significantly change a film’s original aesthetic, message, and essence.

The project underscores significant differences in opinion about how artificial intelligence (AI) might transform entertainment, as two nations strive for supremacy in the intense AI market. In America, many established sectors of the entertainment industry have shown cautious optimism towards creative AI, primarily due to worries over copyright protection and labor issues.

As a passionate film lover, I’ve noticed that studios like Lionsgate and Blumhouse are embracing technology by collaborating with AI companies. However, other studios seem hesitant to publicly announce such partnerships due to the fear of upsetting talent. This is because there have been concerns raised about the potential use of AI to manipulate digital likenesses without fair compensation being offered first.

In contrast to some nations, such as China, there are fewer safety measures (guardrails), enabling entertainment businesses to explore the technology more freely due to increased experimentation.

A significant number of individuals in China have a positive outlook on artificial intelligence (AI), as indicated by a United Nations Development Program survey, with around 83% expressing confidence that these systems are designed to promote societal wellbeing. This is significantly higher than the U.S., where only 37% share this sentiment.

Bruce Lee Enterprises was taken aback when they learned about the unexpected declaration from the foundation, as it concerns the legal permission for utilizing Lee’s image in various artistic endeavors.

Initially, Bruce Lee’s family didn’t know about this news, but they are now collecting details about it, as stated by their representative.

In a public declaration, Woo mentioned that the foundation hasn’t contacted him regarding the AI adaptation of “A Better Tomorrow”. He also pointed out that the ownership of the movie has been transferred multiple times among different parties.

Woo shared with The Times that he hadn’t played a significant role in the project due to his lack of expertise in artificial intelligence tech. Nevertheless, he expressed great interest in the results and potential impact they could have on his initial movie.

Representative David Chi from the China Film Foundation’s Special Fund for Film and Urban Development stated during an interview that Chan is cognizant of the project, and intends to engage in discussions with Chan’s team. However, a representative from Chan’s team did not provide a response when asked for comment.

Chi emphasized the necessity of discussing in detail the application of both animated and AI technology in conjunction with Bruce Lee’s image rights and business interests. He did not provide an instant reply to the DGA, Bruce Lee Enterprises, or Woo’s comments.

AI is currently employed in China for tasks like script creation, content filtering, suggestions, and translation. In the post-production phase, AI has significantly cut down the time required to finish visual effects work from several days to just hours, as stated by He Tao, a representative from the research center of the National Radio and Television Administration, during his speech at the festival.

There’s more excitement than ever before among various government bodies, content providers, and creative studios about embracing and merging AI technology,” he stated.

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Multiple scriptwriters for movies and television shows express shock that their works are being utilized, without consent, by technology firms to educate Artificial Intelligence systems. These writers are urging production studios to initiate lawsuits in response to this practice.

During the unveiling of the project, backers emphasized that AI could help China spread its cultural influence worldwide and create new jobs for artists. Simultaneously, they highlighted AI’s impact on filmmaking by mentioning that the remake of “A Better Tomorrow” was finished with only 30 team members, a significantly smaller number compared to a standard animated production.

In simpler terms, Eric Harwit, a professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, stated that China is perceived as being “less compassionate in this regard.” He explained that if someone loses their job due to automation or artificial intelligence, it’s viewed as an unavoidable consequence of China’s progress. Furthermore, there seems to be less empathy towards people losing jobs, and fewer chances for public demonstrations against the Chinese government.

Hollywood labor organizations like SAG-AFTRA have vocalized their concerns about AI potentially displacing jobs and have advocated for contractual safeguards against AI in television, film, and video game productions. They’ve also urged lawmakers at both state and federal levels to enact laws that would provide individuals greater protection from deepfakes – manipulated videos that portray someone endorsing an idea or product they don’t genuinely support. In contrast, China does not currently have a similar advocacy group pushing for such protections.

In simpler terms, Harwit explained that since they don’t possess independent labor unions, they lack the power to stage protests against China for employing AI in a manner that could potentially take away their jobs or cause job losses within the sector.

American film studios are taking legal action against AI companies, contesting their methods of training AI models using copyrighted content. For instance, this month, The Walt Disney Company and Universal Pictures filed a lawsuit against AI startup Midjourney, claiming they create images imitating the iconic characters from these studios, such as Yoda and Shrek.

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More recently, Curtis publicly criticized the CEO of Meta (Mark Zuckerberg) due to their social media platform failing to remove a deceptive AI-created advertisement on Instagram which had been active for several months after she reached out with requests to do so.

In China, those overseeing the restoration of kung fu films expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with artificial intelligence firms. They believe that AI can bring a breathtaking level of realism to these films, aiming to create immersive viewing experiences like stepping into a bamboo forest battle and sensing the philosophy of motion and tranquility. In terms of animation, Chi suggested, AI could help generate new environments.

Tian Ming, chairman of Shanghai Canxing Culture & Media Co., announced that they are providing worldwide partners with unrestricted access to their intellectual property, platform, and adaptation rights. The aim is to create a wider range of top-tier AI-enhanced films for global viewers. Tian emphasized there’s no limit on revenue sharing and plans to invest approximately $14 million in selected projects, sharing in the profits.

The initiative to rejuvenate kung fu will also encompass other domains, such as developing a martial arts-themed video game.

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Short, heartfelt vignettes, featuring romantic themes and a touch of melodrama, are gaining global popularity. Could they potentially revolutionize the entertainment sector?

Experts note that it’s a shrewd move by China to revisit the wealth of traditional martial arts stories from Hong Kong, as these tales have served as a rich source of inspiration for American action films over many years.

Additionally, there’s less potential danger for China, according to Simon Pulman, a partner at the law firm Pryor Cashman.

In Pulman’s words, “There’s not much they stand to lose if they take this action. If it could possibly increase the worth of these films, then there’s hardly any negative aspect for them.

Over the past few decades, China’s movie industry has experienced substantial growth, propelled by the expansion of cinemas, including IMAX theaters, within the nation.

Previously, China’s box office was largely influenced by American productions such as films from “Fast & Furious” and Marvel series. However, now homegrown movies are taking over the industry. For instance, the Chinese animated film “Ne Zha 2” earned a staggering $2.2 billion at the global box office.

While Chinese productions typically don’t attract substantial American audiences upon their release in the US, they possess a worldwide fanbase and timeless appeal, particularly in the realm of traditional martial arts films.

According to Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore, the reason people adore martial arts movies is that “action transcends languages.” It doesn’t make a difference whether the movie is in a specific language; what truly matters is if it has exceptional action scenes and impressive fight sequences.

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2025-06-30 13:31

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