Do you spend hours looking for something to watch online before giving up and scrolling on your phone? Despite having a bounty of entertainment at our fingertips, thanks to the likes of Netflix and Disney Plus, streaming fatigue is all too real for countless viewers.
But, what if you could create your own entertainment when the algorithm lets you down? That’s the crux of a quixotic new streaming service that wants the public to watch and make AI-generated shows.
It’s called Showrunner, and it’s asking willing users to join up today. As part of the initial launch, it will exclusively deal in animated content, giving members the ability to control dialogue, characters and shot types with short prompts of two words or more.
So, what does an AI cartoon look like? The streamer just unveiled a slate of upcoming shows that deal in a variety of genres and styles. There’s the South Park meets Silicon Valley satire of Exit Valley; a gory anime called Ikiru Shinu; Pixels, a Pixar-esque story that humanises tech devices, including talking Teslas; and a new spin on Star Trek dubbed The Prize. Parsing its portfolio, it feels like the company’s AI ingested Hollywood and spat out an uncanny chimera.
Of course, if you don’t like what you see, you can always make your own show. Stuck for inspiration? Showrunner claims you can ask the AI to take the reins, like a tech-powered shuffle button.
“The vision is to be the Netflix of AI,” Edward Saatchi, chief exec of Showrunner creator Fable Studio, told The Hollywood Reporter. “Maybe you finish all of the episodes of a show you’re watching and you click the button to make another episode. You can say what it should be about or you can let the AI make it itself.”
What sounds like a revolutionary new paradigm for streaming could feasibly implode under the weight of its own unrealistic ambitions.
🚨ANNOUNCING SHOWRUNNER🚨
— The Simulation (@fablesimulation) May 30, 2024
We believe the future is a mix of game & movie.
Simulations powering 1000s of Truman Shows populated by interactive AI characters.
🚨Welcome to Sim Francisco & Showrunner!🚨
SOUND ON!
Link to Signup in Bio pic.twitter.com/yptMocqOfW
With its talk of AI-generated TV shows, the streamer has already sparked criticism from writers. In hindsight, the AI company’s decision to release a fake South Park episode during the Hollywood workers’ strike last summer was probably a bit tone-deaf.
Still, some creatives have admitted that penny-pinching studio execs will be drooling over the tech. For its part, Showrunner claims it has been inundated with offers from Hollywood to make “interactive TV shows.”
A PhD took a look at this AI South Park and is skeptical after reviewing The Simulation’s paper, speculating it’s a combo of generative AI with a LOT of human intervention for a demo.
— Joe Russo (@joerussotweets) July 19, 2023
Good news: human created content is safe for now.
Bad news: execs will salivate over this. https://t.co/LfEL8guj56
Crucially, the company could also be wading into a legal minefield. A big draw for budding users will be the prospect of creating content that stars characters from their favourite shows. Imagine a sitcom where Frasier, Chandler Bing and Ted Lasso meet for coffee at Central Perk? If that nightmare scenario ever happens, Showrunner would have Hollywood lawyers knocking down its doors quicker than it could say flat white.
Nevertheless, if you’re keen to try it out, you can sign up to test the service by filling out an online form - which reads a bit like a job application. If you get chosen to participate in the preview session, you’ll be able to make AI-generated episodes of Exit Valley that could make it into the show’s first season. To sweeten the deal, or avoid accusations of misappropriation, Showrunner is promising to remunerate and credit successful creators.
