James Cameron Joins Board of Stability AI In Coup For Tech Firm 23
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Hollywood Reporter: In a major coup for the artificial intelligence company, Stability AI says that Avatar, Terminator and Titanic director James Cameron will join its board of directors. Stability AI is the firm that developed the Stable Diffusion text-to-image generative AI model, an image- and video-focused model that is among those being closely watched by many in Hollywood, particularly in the visual effects industry. In fact, Stability AI's CEO, Prem Akkaraju, is no stranger to the business, having previously served as the CEO of visual effects firm WETA Digital. Sean Parker, the former president of Facebook and founder of Napster, also recently joined the AI firm as executive chairman.
As a director, Cameron has long been eager to push the boundaries of what is technologically possible in filmmaking (anyone who has seen the Terminator franchise knows that he is also familiar with the pitfalls of technology run amok). He was among the earliest directors to embrace the potential of computer-generated visual effects, and he continued to use his films (most recently Avatar: The Way of Water) to move the entire field forward. "I've spent my career seeking out emerging technologies that push the very boundaries of what's possible, all in the service of telling incredible stories," Cameron said in a statement. "I was at the forefront of CGI over three decades ago, and I've stayed on the cutting edge since. Now, the intersection of generative AI and CGI image creation is the next wave. The convergence of these two totally different engines of creation will unlock new ways for artists to tell stories in ways we could have never imagined. Stability AI is poised to lead this transformation. I'm delighted to collaborate with Sean, Prem, and the Stability AI team as they shape the future of all visual media."
As a director, Cameron has long been eager to push the boundaries of what is technologically possible in filmmaking (anyone who has seen the Terminator franchise knows that he is also familiar with the pitfalls of technology run amok). He was among the earliest directors to embrace the potential of computer-generated visual effects, and he continued to use his films (most recently Avatar: The Way of Water) to move the entire field forward. "I've spent my career seeking out emerging technologies that push the very boundaries of what's possible, all in the service of telling incredible stories," Cameron said in a statement. "I was at the forefront of CGI over three decades ago, and I've stayed on the cutting edge since. Now, the intersection of generative AI and CGI image creation is the next wave. The convergence of these two totally different engines of creation will unlock new ways for artists to tell stories in ways we could have never imagined. Stability AI is poised to lead this transformation. I'm delighted to collaborate with Sean, Prem, and the Stability AI team as they shape the future of all visual media."
AI sucks (Score:2)
The output needs to be human action editable, not prompt based editable because that takes ridiculously long and is annoying. Also the AI needs repeatability like 10 versions later it should be able to at least work with and edit previously generated content if not regenerate it with the same prompt.
Re: (Score:3)
AI sucks in many ways, but it is also enormously powerful for many things. Asking it to create things from scratch takes a surprising amount of work and experience to get right, but using it to enhance things made in other ways is astoundingly easy and effective.
Re: AI sucks (Score:2)
Seems appropriate (Score:3)
AI is far more hype than fact, so of course they benefit from a world renowned maker of fictional entertainment.
Stability AI adds Holywood insider (Score:2)
looking to sell more AI into the entertainment industry
InStability AI (Score:4, Interesting)
Last I checked, Stability AI has not been doing well this past year or so. Lots of funding troubles compounded by the departure of a lot of the original staff including the founder. Not surprising given they never seemed to have a cohesive business model.
Guessing Cameron was brought on to revive the hype for the company. Probably hoping he integrates their tech into his films on the chance it may attract much needed investors. Otherwise I would not be surprised if the company ceases to exist in the next few years.
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Cameron hasn't been doing so well either. The 4k versions of his movies are awful. He used AI to upscale them and it ruined them in the process. Actors look like they are wearing rubber masks of their own faces, with a weird uncanny valley waxy look to them. Anything small gets mangled into an unrecognizable mess of pixels as the AI hallucinates something that was never there, then suddenly snaps back to a facsimile of reality once it gets closer to the camera.
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What I find interesting is that YouToobers often like to apply visual filters to real-life clips from conventional movies to give them exactly the look you've just described. Gives them that cool AI "vibe" I guess, seems the kiddies like that. :-(
Re: (Score:2)
Last I checked, Stability AI has not been doing well this past year or so. Lots of funding troubles compounded by the departure of a lot of the original staff including the founder. Not surprising given they never seemed to have a cohesive business model.
Guessing Cameron was brought on to revive the hype for the company. Probably hoping he integrates their tech into his films on the chance it may attract much needed investors. Otherwise I would not be surprised if the company ceases to exist in the next few years.
Who knows what kind of role it will be like in practise, but if I wanted someone to run a company James Cameron would be a fantastic choice. Outside of his technical innovations, a big part of directing is management, and I don't think there's anyone who can hold a candle to Cameron's ability to manage a big movie.
Re: InStability AI (Score:2)
A lot of his recent films feel more like glorified VFX demos, so I can see that. The Avatar films are certainly pretty, but lack substance beyond ham-fisted ecological narratives.
In any case, Cameron is going to milk the franchise until he drops dead.
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A lot of his recent films feel more like glorified VFX demos, so I can see that. The Avatar films are certainly pretty, but lack substance beyond ham-fisted ecological narratives.
In any case, Cameron is going to milk the franchise until he drops dead.
It that "lack of substance" based on actual critical review or the standard "I'm thirteen so any popular franchise I don't like is for dumb people".
Re: InStability AI (Score:2)
Based on the fact that Avatar is basically your standard colonizer vs native story but in space, which in itself is not even that unique of a premise anymore.
You even have your white savior stand-in falling in love with the native princess, which compels him to betray his own kind to defend them. Pretty cliche stuff as far as this sub-genre goes.
The sequel was literally the same plot but this time with Pacific Islanders and the whaling industry.
I am not saying people still cannot like these films, but the m
Re: (Score:2)
Based on the fact that Avatar is basically your standard colonizer vs native story but in space, which in itself is not even that unique of a premise anymore.
You even have your white savior stand-in falling in love with the native princess, which compels him to betray his own kind to defend them. Pretty cliche stuff as far as this sub-genre goes.
The sequel was literally the same plot but this time with Pacific Islanders and the whaling industry.
I am not saying people still cannot like these films, but the messaging is very upfront and arguably one-sided from my perspective.
Avatar was a classic plot executed extremely well. It's a style of plot that has since fallen out of fashion, but was hardly problematic at the time.
The sequel was completely different (which is why many people didn't enjoy it as much), it was essentially a story about the father trying to protect his family from the rebellion he started, and the repercussions of his actions continuing to following him and those around him.
It doesn't have to resonate with you, but there's a lot more there than a whaling all
"shape the future of all visual media."" (Score:2)
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That might be a bit out of reach for the near future. BUT. I bet we could get to a point where companies produce template movies that you can modified to fit your mood. Change the main character's physical appearance however you wish. Watch the movie as live action or animation. Change the MCs pet from a dog to a mongoose, or whatever.
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I sure wouldn't mind submitting an ebook to generative and having a cohesive video come out the other side. I should be able to provide some suggestions and have those incorporated as an updated video. Heck an hour per book chapter would be fine to create a full-blown mini-series.
If they could actually pull this off, I'd love having that ability. I've got some very visual stories in my head and in my books. Many who have read them refer to them as "cinematic." I write from the perspective of "Pick up everything the camera and a mic would." I would think that writing style would be *PERFECT* for an automated system to use to create motion pictures. IF they could do it with normal looking hands and faces. If it's weirding out through the motion like some I've seen? No thanks. Fever dr
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"CGI image creation" (Score:2)
Don't use acronyms if you are going to add the acronym meaning afterwards...
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Three cheers for the AP style guide. " here's to plain speaking and clear understanding."
Big deal (Score:2)
Alternate Headline (Score:2)
James Cameron learns nothing from his own films, elects to become Miles Bennett Dyson