Disney CEO Bob Iger discussed potential collaborations with AI companies on November 13 to enable user-generated content on Disney+ for increased subscriber engagement.
During a Thursday earnings call, Iger indicated that Disney is exploring methods to make the Disney+ streaming service more interactive and customizable for users. He suggested Disney is in discussions with artificial intelligence companies regarding tools that could permit subscribers to create and share their own content using Disney’s intellectual property (IP). Iger stated, “AI is going to give us the ability to provide users of Disney+ with a much more engaged experience, including the ability for them to create user-generated content.”
Disney+ did not provide further details on the nature of these creative tools or the tech companies involved. AI remains a concern within the entertainment industry, with several companies, including Disney, involved in lawsuits against AI entities for copyright infringement. Iger, acknowledging this, stated that conversations with potential AI partners focus on enabling new fan engagement forms while safeguarding against IP dilution or misuse. He added, “It’s obviously imperative for us to protect our IP with this new technology.”
Other companies are also re-evaluating the relationship between audiences and entertainment. Elizabeth Stone, Netflix’s chief technology officer, discussed future entertainment trends at the recent TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco. Stone predicted, “The future of entertainment is likely to be even more personalized, even more interactive, even more immersive.” Netflix’s experiments in this area include an interactive element for the reboot of the talent competition Star Search, launching next year, where viewers can vote from their devices to influence contestant advancement.
