Last month, I wrote about Disney’s plans to add selected user-generated AI content to Disney+, which of course drove backlash. Among the prominent backlash figures include Dana Terrace, the creator of Disney’s “The Owl House.”
Unfortunately, there’s more bad news on the Disney/AI front to report. This week, Disney announced it’s investing $1 billion into OpenAI and its Sora video generator, as well as a three-year licensing deal that allows Sora users to create video clips using over 200 licensed Disney characters, including Disney-related assets Pixar, Marvel, and “Star Wars.” Apparently this deal marks a big change for Disney, who refused to participate in Sora 2’s launch in September.
The deal only covers illustrated images, not live-action or voice overs. So no AI generated clips featuring Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, or hearing the late Russi Taylor’s version of Minnie Mouse. It’s unclear if this means comics are fair game, or if it’s just non-comic illustrated images of Spider-Man and Wolverine.
What makes all this particularly disappointing is that it’s Disney. Like Apple when it comes to computers/electronics, Disney has always treated animation as a premium product, with its own ideas and approach toward such. (Even if one disagrees with Apple’s/Disney’s approach or products.) That’s as opposed to viewing animation as “just a cartoon,” i.e. something disposable or of secondary importance at best, like some of its competitors. There’s also that Disney’s been protective of its properties for decades; they’re a big part of why copyright lengths have been extended to 95 years for corporate works. Disney’s also the same company that once sued a daycare center for painting their characters as murals.
So for better or worse, it’s odd and disappointing to see Disney decided to go the AI slop route. Even if it’s just to goose their stock market price/appease Wall Street, I can see the AI bubble eventually bursting. And again, what happens when people inevitably make AI generated slop showing, say, Stitch robbing a liquor store, or something lurid involving Elsa from “Frozen?” Disney certainly must know such stuff already exists even before this deal, so why make creating such junk even easier?
Image: Mickey and Minnie Mouse from “Mickey Mouse (2013).” (Disney)
