Warner Bros. Will Use AI to Help Make Decisions on Movie Releases It's not making the final call on a movie, though

AI is about to play more of a role in the movie-making process. Warner Bros. Pictures has unveiled plans to use Cinelytic's AI project management system to assist in making decisions on movies during the "greenlight process." No, it won't have the final say on whether or not a movie goes forward. Rather, this will help the studio predict a movie's revenue, gauge the value of stars and determine when a title should premiere. Studio execs would ultimately have the final say, but the AI could help determine whether a movie is treated as a summer blockbuster or early-in-the-year filler material.

The system is for "low-value, repetitive tasks" that can waste executives' time, Cinelytic said.

You probably won't see AI making many more of Hollywood's decisions at this level. Pride and stigmas may prevent studios from trusting algorithms to approve pitches or scripts (never mind that humans frequently approve hot garbage). Like with many forms of automation, though, it could eliminate much of the drudgery behind a production and let people focus on the creative aspects.