- Written by Stephanie Power
- technology reporter
image source, Getty Images
Those of a certain age will remember the scene in which Alan Partridge pitches television executives to win a new series.
Increasingly desperate, a fictional British television presenter suggests shows such as Inner City Sumo, Youth Hostelling with Chris Eubanks, and finally Monkey Tennis. Perhaps it is no surprise that all were rejected.
Perhaps the partridge, played by comedian and actor Steve Coogan, would have had better luck if he had let an artificial intelligence (AI) computer system choose his ideas.
While it may seem like a very fanciful idea at first, a number of TV production companies have already announced that they are using AI to plan new shows.
Meanwhile, Banijay, the creator of “Deal or No Deal” and “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” has set up a fund to support AI-generated content. Announcing this last year, the company said, “While human creativity will always come first, it is important that we work in tandem with the tools available to contribute to the future of breakthrough entertainment.”
Neither company has yet announced a new TV series inspired by their AI systems, but I decided to put it to the test.
So I logged into the AI chatbot and typed in what I was looking for. I wrote this: “I’m trying to come up with a new television format: a series with contestants.
“Maybe they’re learning a new skill, like dancing, or they’re trying to compete in their community to have the most sustainable environment. could you do for me?”
AI confirms that this could be an exciting endeavor. And you’ll immediately come up with 6 ideas.
What I like about it is its first suggestion, Skill Mastery Showdown. The idea is that contestants are paired with an expert mentor and have a limited amount of time to learn a specific new skill, such as dancing, cooking, or painting.
But what do TV industry experts think about the use of AI when thinking about future content? Dan, a senior consultant at K7 Media, a Manchester-based research firm that reports on the TV business.・I asked Mr. Whitehead.
“The idea that you type in a request in normal conversational language and a machine spits out something close to your request still feels pretty magical,” he says. “So it’s understandable that people are drawn to it.
“Can you do the following? [AI chatbot] Does ChatGPT generate ideas for TV shows? Of course, but we never ran out of ideas for TV shows. A big problem for most production companies is the uncertainty of which ideas are best and which ones are worth investing in. ”
Whitehead said AI could give people a false sense of confidence, giving them the feeling that if an AI with access to billions of data points can come up with these ideas, then they must be better. claim to have sex.
image source, Dan Whitehead
Let’s look back at the skill mastery showdown. Maybe it’s not all that innovative after all. Whitehead says AI is better used in a more nuanced and contextual way.
“BBC Springwatch and Winterwatch use bespoke AI systems that monitor live camera footage and are trained to recognize, record and document the different types of animals and birds that appear in the frame. ” he says. “We can then tell the production team how often they appear, provide insight into their behavior, and do things that would typically consume hours of human production time.”
Elaine van der Velden, founder and CEO of Particle 6, a London-based television production company, says she wants to use AI to both come up with ideas and write scripts for new shows. is more proactive.
She said she recently prepared two versions of a script for a client, one edited by a human and one edited by Chat GPT. “We gave them both versions, but they preferred her ChatGPT version,” she says.
image source, Eline van der Velden
Ms van der Velden added that she wants producers to know how they can use AI to support their work. ”[Otherwise] “It’s like having someone who doesn’t know how Microsoft Word works. This speeds everything up,” she says.
She also says that AI will not replace TV jobs, or at least not all TV jobs. “It’s like accountants who thought the advent of Excel would eliminate their jobs.
“We still need a creative director, but this is a tool that show creators should use. It allows us to reach our full potential to the next level.”
Want to know if AI can help create hit TV shows? How about a drama series instead?
Whitehead reminds me that the AI is not human and will never respond emotionally to any requests or prompts I give it.
Undeterred, I asked the AI chatbot for ideas for a new TV show about the Post Office scandal. He returns with his six-part series called “Broken Trust.” The series will combine elements of drama and documentary to “emotionally engage viewers while providing factual insight into larger issues.”
Mr. Whitehead was unimpressed, stating that “the program’s explanation of this subject is as general as I can imagine.”
He added that ITV’s popular show on the subject, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, was not something AI could have dreamed up.
“It required humans to see human stories and believe that they were interested in those stories,” Whitehead said. “No algorithm predicted that this would be one of the biggest Christmas shows of 2023, and yet here we are.
“In fact, most blockbuster shows, scripted or unscripted, were created because someone punted on a left-field idea or an unlikely combination of ideas that no one was sure would work. I don’t think AI will ever be able to recreate that essential randomness.” ”
But Van der Velden thinks it will happen soon. “AI can help with scripts and themes for children’s shows. The only thing AI hasn’t done yet is create great TV shows like ‘Traitor’ and come up with formats. But I’m sure it will Please wait just six months.”