Filmmaker Tyler Perry is pausing his studio expansion plans due to AI technology, which he fears is poised to radically alter the entertainment industry.
The 54-year-old actor had been planning an $800 million expansion of his studio in Atlanta, including 12 new soundstages, per The Hollywood Reporter.
But now the project is on hold indefinitely after Perry was introduced to OpenAI’s text-to-video model Sora, the outlet noted. Sora debuted on February 15.
“Being told that it can do all of these things is one thing, but actually seeing the capabilities, it was mind-blowing,” the filmmaker told THR during an interview published Thursday.
He went on to issue a dire warning for the entertainment industry. “There’s got to be some sort of regulations in order to protect us. If not, I just don’t see how we survive,” Perry said.
When the interviewer asked what specifically about the technology made him nervous, the “House of Payne” creator described some of Sora’s capabilities.
“I no longer would have to travel to locations,” he said. “If I wanted to be in the snow in Colorado, it’s text. If I wanted to write a scene on the moon, it’s text, and this AI can generate it like nothing. If I wanted to have two people in the living room in the mountains, I don’t have to build a set in the mountains, I don’t have to put a set on my lot. I can sit in an office and do this with a computer, which is shocking to me.”
Perry went on to lament what this could mean for standard industry positions, from actors to sound techs and editors. “I’m thinking this will touch every corner of our industry,” he added.
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“I think it’s going to be a major game-changer, because if you could spend a fraction of the cost to do a pilot that would’ve cost $15 [million], $20 million or even $35 million if you’re looking at HBO, of course the bottom line of those companies would be to go the route of lesser costs,” Perry said. “So I am very, very concerned that in the near future, a lot of jobs are going to be lost. I really, really feel that very strongly.”
As for what to do about it, the filmmaker says he hopes the industry execs will have “some sort of compassion for humanity and the people that have worked in this industry and built careers and lives.” He also mentioned that the entire Hollywood community needs to enforce rules and regulations, not just individual unions.
Beyond that, he’s hoping for government intervention. “If you look at it across the world, how it’s changing so quickly, I’m hoping that there’s a whole government approach to help everyone be able to sustain, is my hope,” Perry said.