How Will AI Embed Itself in the Entertainment Industry, Affecting Viewers' Perception of Cultural Hegemony?

• In Event: The Intersection of AI: Entertainment, Mental Health, Media Violence, and Health Care Disparities

Abstract

The stories we are told from a young age influence our way of thinking more than we may realize. Particularly, the narratives we are not able to let our minds control, the ones told to us through shows and movies, give us new perspectives and allow us to be imaginative. Because of the impact storytelling has on our lives, exploring the sources behind their creation is crucial. Specifically, in terms of inclusivity and telling the stories of previously misrepresented groups in truth, it is encouraged to have a diverse group of people offering their unique perspectives to the creative process. But with the rise of machine learning in a variety of industries, it is only inevitable that the very human-oriented entertainment industry, crafted by humans, showcasing humans (most of the time), and consumed by humans, may face some alterations with the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI), writing scripts faster and costing significantly less than its human counterpart. The problem with this shift is that AI, learning the meaning behind certain ideas from its processing of past information, is likely to recycle stereotypical portrayals of the past into its supposedly new creations of scripts and characters (Taylor). The risks of learning bias and inaccurately showcasing a variety of marginalized groups including people of color (POC), LGTBQ+, refugees, people with disabilities, and more, may show in the implicit and explicit biases of countless people watching AI-generated content.
This paper sources information from a variety of recent articles about the constant developments of AI and the WGA & SAG-AFTRA strike, podcasts, an interview done with an actively protesting POC actor, and studies done about the nature of bias and the benefit of diversity. Though countless articles can be found about the union strike and the advancement of AI separately, this paper links the two together to examine the risks of furthering cultural hegemony through AI’s portrayal of marginalized groups if implemented into the entertainment industry. As a South Asian actress myself and with the future hurdling our way, it is important to question the ethics behind the use of AI in this industry and the result that it will have on all people involved in the creation and viewing of cinema.

Author

• Parsvi Shah, New Jersey Scholars Program