AI is not directing the big picture yet, says 'Criminal Justice' creator Sameer Nair

'Criminal Justice' creator Nair added that the film industry has always embraced new technology.

Big content studios are embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) but are not yet using it to develop full length feature films or series, said Applause Entertainment's Managing Director Sameer Nair.

He said AI is currently being used to develop short form content.

"AI works well for shorter form, for static, for shorter amounts of video. To really get to feature length or show length, it is going to take a lot more effort to generate that kind of content," Nair said.

He added that the film industry has always embraced new technology.

"AI or any kind of technology has been used by the industry for a long time. We've done a lot of work with green screens and Unreal. We also actively work with various AI tools available. We are engaging with Google in a much deeper way, a much larger relationship with their new Gemini stack. They have been promoting Veo3 (video generator). As this technology becomes better, as it becomes sharper, it still needs to be in the hands of intelligent people. Every phone today has a camera but that doesn't make everyone a good photographer. While there are concerns, it (AI) will separate good talent from average."

"The film industry in particular embraces new technology. We've been creating science fiction long before science could catch up. AI is catching up with us now. We are already seeing AI having an impact on static campaigns. People are talking about using AI-generated models and AI-generated pictures and it massively cuts production budgets," he added.

On the Raanjhanaa controversy, Nair said that people tomorrow would want to change the ending of the popular Hollywood movie Titanic.

Eros Media Group is looking to re-release the 2013 romantic drama with an alternate AI-created ending and the film's director Aanand L Rai has opposed the move.

Nair noted that many in the entertainment industry have started drawing lines when it comes to the use of AI.

"Maybe someone thinks that Titanic should have a happy ending and tomorrow they can go back and edit it. Where does one draw the line? I don't know where one draws the line. I think the line is drawn where the legal contract says it should be drawn. There's so much scope for misuse that a lot of people are drawing the lines. A lot of celebrity talent is saying that you cannot use my likeness, you can't go to AI and make a character that looks like Shah Rukh Khan but not quite. If you do make a character that looks like Shah Rukh Khan then you should pay him," he said.