Google APAC president Sanjay Gupta called on the media and entertainment industries to embrace AI’s opportunities, while acknowledging concerns around the protection of talent and creativity.
Speaking to audiences at APOS, currently held in Bali, Gupta referred to this year’s Google AI immersive production of “The Wizard of Oz” at the Las Vegas Sphere as an example of AI’s expansive opportunities for production and media.
Gupta called AI both a “profound pivot” and a “magic wand,” calling on audiences to imagine the creation of films that “everybody can watch in real time in different languages.”
However, he also acknowledged two major concerns about AI across the industry: the protection of talent, as well as creativity.
“The first concern is talent and what happens to talent,” said Gupta. “We must think of AI as a tool that is augmenting us, that is a multiplier.”
Gupta added that the second concern is about the protection of creativity, which he said requires extended engagement with stakeholders.
He also highlighted that amid these technological developments, there is a sense of unprecedented times, even for him. “This pace of change, I’ve never experienced before even in my decades of experience,” said Gupta.
Beyond AI, Gupta also discussed the increase in screens and screen time around Asia, as well as the need to increase provision of “on-the-go” content and formats.
Gupta shared that the Asian region has “four billion people each watching over seven hours of stories today across 5 billion screens.”
He also noted a big shift towards watching “on-the-go” content and across multiple screens, with Asia seeing a growth from roughly 2 billion screens around a decade ago, to 5 billion screens today.
“We are watching multiple genres and in a way that feels more and more personal. We are seeking stories for on-the-go consumption,” said Gupta. “Throughout the day, we are switching screens.”
He added that there is still a lot of room for growth in the region, with APAC contributing to around 15% of revenues globally.
In creation and production, Gupta also acknowledged that creatives have increasingly used multiple formats and non-traditional media to tell their stories.
“They tell the story that they want to tell through videos long and short, through audio, images or games,” added Gupta.
He added that there will be further integration between the digital and physical worlds, through augmented reality, smart glasses and other forms of technology.
“Digital will blend even more seamlessly with the physical world,” added Gupta.
