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Can AI Replace Human Creativity in Video Production?
Three years after artificial intelligence’s mainstream moment began, there are still questions and conflict about the best uses for the technology. In commercial video production, much of the interest centers on whether generative AI (GenAI) can serve in creative roles and how best to bring these algorithms into the content creation process.
The early positioning of GenAI as an all-in-one creative solution has led to some confusion and disappointment, and may be obscuring the real value of the technology. This is due to the fact that while AI systems have failed to replace human creativity in video, it does have some helpful (if much more limited) uses, taking on repetitive tasks in video editing workflows.
GenAI: Not a substitute for human creativity
Video audiences have been watching content created by human ingenuity for their whole lives. Even the most sophisticated AI videos have peculiarities and shortcomings due to the limitations of the algorithms that generated them, meaning they’ll stand out immediately from organically shot or animated videos, and not in a positive way.
These issues come across visually in a few ways, including discontinuity between scenes. Shots top out around eight seconds, and then the GenAI model must generate a new shot. When trying to imitate live video, the discontinuities become evident and distracting. Technical limitations and creative uncanniness combine to produce a less-than-satisfying end result.
Beyond the visual shortcomings of AI video, there are legal and ethical questions around how AI generation differs from human creativity. A GenAI model uses other creative works as training material, which can lead to legal complications. Some brands are insisting in their contracts that video producers not use AI generated content in the finished product to avoid the threat of litigation from rights holders.
Large content production and distribution companies are aware of the challenging, unsettled environment. Netflix, for instance, lists ways in which production partners should and shouldn’t use GenAI. The guidelines state that creators should be wary about generating characters for use in finished content and shouldn’t train an AI model to replicate real performers as AI generated content.
Companies that have acted too hastily and reconfigured their creative process to feature GenAI at the expense of human intelligence may find that they’re poorly equipped to create finished videos — the creative, technical and legal issues are too pervasive. That doesn’t mean GenAI is useless in video production, however.
AI’s real role in video production
AI in video production has value as a behind-the-scenes tool, in roles that don’t force it to replace human intelligence and the efforts of creative personnel. At its core, generative AI is a set of algorithms capable of taking on manual processes and providing assistance for busy editors.
GenAI may not be suitable for producing finished video frames, for example, but it is a useful pre-production tool. Producers can use GenAI algorithms to speed up their pre-visualization efforts, brainstorming and storyboarding pieces that will be recreated by artists or filmed live.
Beyond pre-production, there are other functional applications for GenAI, including automating laborious work in editing or producing first drafts of captions and transcripts. Tweaking sound and visuals may also be good applications for GenAI algorithms, with human editors taking a second pass to make sure the videos are ready for primetime.
In this way, GenAI is an evolution of the time-saving automated tools that have been empowering video crews to complete repetitive tasks for years. While less overtly flashy than the promises associated with AI hype, there is a clearly understandable and evidently valuable use case here.
Creativity and technology: Working in harmony
When creative teams decide to apply AI systems to their administrative burdens, they may find that the solutions lighten the load considerably. This demonstrates the wide gulf between GenAI hype and the reality of the technology. Businesses that plan their AI model adoption strategies based on inflated promises may end up disappointed. Those who focus on practical use cases can walk away significantly more impressed.
One way to remain confident through transitional periods is to find reliable allies in the video production space. Third-party crews can provide consistent capabilities that incorporate the latest technological and functional best practices into the creative process without forcing your organization to change its own strategy. Your internal stakeholders can focus on their priorities while still receiving high-quality video content.
The state of the art in video production is moving quickly, but there is such a thing as moving too quickly. Companies that have acted rashly in the early days of the GenAI era may now be dealing with human skill gaps, functional limitations and legal questions. To learn more about the state of video production today, read our eBook.
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