Who Is SpongeBob's Owner? Hollywood's Creative Base is Shaken by AI
Phil Wiser, the head of technology at Paramount Global PARA -1.22%decrease; red down pointing triangle, used SpongeBob SquarePants to showcase the dangers and benefits of artificial intelligence for company executives.
Mr. Wiser gave the order to DALL-E, an AI tool, to display SpongeBob, one of the most recognisable figures from Paramount, piloting a jet. At the presentation to Chief Executive Bob Bakish and others earlier this year, a picture of the rectangle cartoon character doing just that emerged on a big TV screen. The "Transformers" character Optimus Prime was then shown on the Paramount Studios lot by the tool at Mr. Wiser's request. It produced a picture of the imposing robot standing next to the cafe on the lot in a matter of seconds.
The vivid demonstration brought up some of the unresolved issues around generative AI technology and potential dangers. The application of intellectual property laws to various instruments is frequently contested or unclear: Should the original creators have to give consent if a user asks an AI tool to create a new character that is inspired by, say, SpongeBob? Its owner? Is the new piece of art itself copyrighted?
In an interview, Mr. Wiser claimed that "this woke everyone up."
Intellectual property ownership is the foundation of the entertainment industry. Hollywood's creative industries rely on exclusive concepts, language, and imagery that bring in money thanks to carefully negotiated permissions and royalties.
Rapidly developing generative AI tools have upset the system by utilising and reshaping a digital environment that frequently contains protected content.
A few studios, producers, and writers have already begun experimenting with AI tools like ChatGPT, a chatbot that can generate text and behave like a real person, and image-generating software like DALL-E and Midjourney. Broadly accessible AI technologies can suggest storylines and character arcs, try their hand at dialogue writing, and even produce short films.

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