AI is a Potential ‘Goldmine' and a ‘Ticking Time Bomb,' Says SMPTE Chief at HPA Tech Retreat
AI is both a potential 'goldmine' and a 'ticking time bomb,' in the words of Rich Welsh, Deluxe senior VP of innovation, who also serves as president of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.
Speaking Wednesday at the HPA Tech Retreat, an annual engineering conference taking place this week in Palm Springs, Welsh reviewed some of the recent steps and decisions toward AI legislation, a subject that remains murky. 'Creative work in particular belongs to the person who created it. But can you protect it realistically, if you don't have any recourse to defend the ownership of that work?,' he asked. 'That is my ticking time bomb.'
More from Variety
Ex-Marvel Executive Victoria Alonso Says She 'Looks Forward To Coming Back' As She Accepts SMPTE Engineering Honor
HPA Names Kari Grubin Its First Woman President (EXCLUSIVE)
'Joker: Folie à Deux' Cinematographer Lawrence Sher to Keynote SMPTE Media Technology Summit
He then turned the subject to the potential opportunity afforded by the huge archives of content owned by media & entertainment companies. 'We generate so much information when we shoot a TV show, shoot a movie, shoot a commercial,' he said. 'The substantial part of that information is thrown away afterwards, or it's kept somewhere where no one can see it. The 'keeping it somewhere no one can see it' is our advantage.' That edge, he continued, is that it is unavailable on social media or anywhere online. 'Your script notes, concept art, orchestration for soundtrack – these things don't really see the light of day,' he reminded the estimated 500 delegates.
But he asserted that this not-publicly-available data does have value. 'AI companies who are training these models cannot go and get that data without coming to you for it,' he said, adding though that there's a rub. 'And I'm going to guess that for most of you, you can't just access it either. You don't have it sitting there at your fingertips.'
He urged tagging of this content, including rights information. 'This is going to become more and more important if you want to use your data,' he said. 'And I think even if we think about this without legislation, ethically, this is what we should be doing.'
He also stressed that attendees need to 'think beyond the movie' about alternative uses of their archives as he concluded his talk. 'Think about all the other applications downstream,' he asserted. 'You've got retail, you've got the metaverse and virtual. So think about going beyond just the media that you're creating in terms of the AIs that you could train based on the data that you have and value that that brings to your content — and then I have to say, always be ethical.'
His talk was one in a schedule packed with speakers who discussed a range of subjects surrounding AI. The HPA confab runs through Thursday.
Best of Variety
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Grammy Predictions, From Beyoncé to Kendrick Lamar: Who Will Win? Who Should Win?
What's Coming to Netflix in February 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dua Lipa confirms engagement to actor Callum Turner
Dua Lipa casually confirmed her engagement to British actor Callum Turner, after months of speculation. The 29-year-old Grammy winner confirmed in British Vogue's July cover story, 'Yeah, we're engaged. It's very exciting.' The stars, who've been linked since January 2024, were introduced by the cofounder of London's The River Cafe and crossed paths again a year later in Los Angeles. The 'Houdini' pop star says they had many ''Sliding Doors' moments,' referring to the 1998 romantic comedy starring Gwyneth Paltrow, including their 'many' mutual friends. Currently, Lipa and the 'Masters of the Air' actor, 35, are 'just enjoying' their engagement. 'I want to finish my tour, Callum's shooting,' she explained. 'I've never been someone who's really thought about a wedding, or dreamt about what kind of bride I would be. All of a sudden I'm like: 'Oh, what would I wear?' … This decision to grow old together, to see a life and just, I don't know, be best friends forever — it's a really special feeling.' The 'Levitating' singer added that, while she'd 'love to have kids one day,' scheduling comes into play with family planning as well as wedding preparation. 'It's like the constant question of when would there ever be a good time — how it would fit in with my job and how it would work if I went on tour, and how much time out I'd have to take,' said Lipa. 'I think it's just one of those things that's going to happen when it happens.' The 'Levitating' singer also showed off her bespoke engagement ring, which she's 'obsessed with.' 'It's so me,' said Lipa. 'It's nice to know the person that you're going to spend the rest of your life with knows you very well.' Lipa first showed off her ring on Christmas Eve in an Instagram carousel. Though she's remained mum on the pending nuptials till now, she regularly posts Turner on her feed. Earlier this week, she shared another carousel that opens with a photo of Turner kissing her head as she beams in his arms, captioned: 'That's amoreeee…'
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
A Grammy category is created for album covers just as Sabrina Carpenter's takes the spotlight
NEW YORK (AP) — The Recording Academy has tweaked some of its rules for the 2026 Grammy Awards, including carving out a stand-alone category for best album cover — a day after Sabrina Carpenter sparked considerable discourse unveiling what is believed to be the cover for her next album. The academy on Thursday announced that the best recording package and the best boxed or special limited edition package categories will be combined into the best recording package category, with best album cover spun out on its own. The last Grammy for best recording package went to 'Brat,' the Charli xcx album whose distinctive cover was immediately embraced by pop culture and meme creators. 'The Academy's top priority is to represent the music people that we serve each year,' Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy said in a statement. 'That entails listening carefully to our members to make sure our rules and guidelines reflect today's music and allow us to accurately recognize as many deserving creators as possible.' Carpenter revealed the title and release date for her new album, 'Man's Best Friend,' on Wednesday. The image shows Carpenter, dressed in a black dress and high heels, kneeling on the ground in a dog-like pose while an unseen person pulls her by the hair. On social media, some fans said the image was demeaning while others argued it was satirical. The album would be eligible for the new category if she releases 'Man's Best Friend' on Aug. 29, as promised. The Grammy eligibility period closes the next day. Other Grammy changes include the creation of a best traditional country album category, while the existing best country album category has been renamed best contemporary country album. (Beyoncé won best country album at the 2025 Grammy Awards for 'Cowboy Carter.') The best new artist category has also been expanded to include acts who were featured on previous album of the year nominees, so long as they fall below 20% of the album's music. The Grammys will be held Feb. 1 at Arena in Los Angeles, with nominations set to be announced on Nov. 7.
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
A Grammy category is created for album covers just as Sabrina Carpenter's takes the spotlight
NEW YORK (AP) — The Recording Academy has tweaked some of its rules for the 2026 Grammy Awards, including carving out a stand-alone category for best album cover — a day after Sabrina Carpenter sparked considerable discourse unveiling what is believed to be the cover for her next album. The academy on Thursday announced that the best recording package and the best boxed or special limited edition package categories will be combined into the best recording package category, with best album cover spun out on its own. The last Grammy for best recording package went to 'Brat,' the Charli xcx album whose distinctive cover was immediately embraced by pop culture and meme creators. 'The Academy's top priority is to represent the music people that we serve each year,' Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy said in a statement. 'That entails listening carefully to our members to make sure our rules and guidelines reflect today's music and allow us to accurately recognize as many deserving creators as possible.' Carpenter revealed the title and release date for her new album, 'Man's Best Friend,' on Wednesday. The image shows Carpenter, dressed in a black dress and high heels, kneeling on the ground in a dog-like pose while an unseen person pulls her by the hair. On social media, some fans said the image was demeaning while others argued it was satirical. The album would be eligible for the new category if she releases 'Man's Best Friend' on Aug. 29, as promised. The Grammy eligibility period closes the next day. Other Grammy changes include the creation of a best traditional country album category, while the existing best country album category has been renamed best contemporary country album. (Beyoncé won best country album at the 2025 Grammy Awards for "Cowboy Carter.") The Grammys will be held Feb. 1 at Arena in Los Angeles, with nominations set to be announced on Nov. 7.
