Barry Diller’s controversial views on AI use in Hollywood

On Sunday, Barry Diller expressed his fear that an entire industry could collapse if the Hollywood writers and actors' strike continues for a prolonged period. 

The billionaire media mogul and former CEO of Paramount Pictures shared his doubts about the perceived threat of artificial intelligence in the film industry during an interview on Face the Nation. He remarked that the concept is excessively exaggerated and that human talent will not be replaced by AI in the movie business.

Diller said that AI is “overhyped to death” and that “writers will get assisted, not replaced by it," while “most of these actual performing crafts, I don't think they are in danger of artificial intelligence.”

Although he has downplayed the threat of AI to Hollywood’s writers and actors, Diller has previously discussed the dangers AI poses to the news business. Diller himself owns publications like People magazine and Investopedia.

Speaking with The New York Post in May, he expressed his fears and discussed the measures the publications are taking to stay in business, “For the first time this topic has reached the stage where the publishing industry as a whole is truly grappling with the potential consequences of generative AI. That is the first stage. And that is gathering steam.”

“The stage after that is a series of options… I think all of which will be taken. The first is legislation and the second is litigation.”

“The forces will gather to set rules that allow businesses to survive,” he concluded.