The Sunday Daily: Hollywood’s A.I. Moment

Podcast: The Daily
Host: Michael Barbaro (with Brooks Barnes, Alyssa Wilkinson)
Date: January 18, 2026

Overview

This episode delves into Hollywood’s urgent reckoning with artificial intelligence (AI)—from the rise of fully AI-generated content and characters to the creative and ethical dilemmas that follow. Anchored by in-depth reporting and criticism, it unpacks both industry anxiety and the exhilarating frontier: AI’s ability to democratize creativity, remake classics, and disrupt everything from labor to audience trust.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What’s Actually New About A.I. in Hollywood?

(03:39–08:31)

• Old vs. New Use of Tech:

  • Hollywood has used computer technology (like CGI and digital de-aging) for years, but the jump to “generative A.I.” represents a paradigm shift:
    • Non-generative A.I.: Assists editors, cleans up audio, de-ages actors.
    • Generative A.I.: Can create entirely new content (video, voice, performances) from training data, not just enhance existing footage.
  • Brooks Barnes:
    • “The new part, and the controversial part is generative AI tools that scrape vast amounts of information and then use that to create new content.” [04:56]

• Real-world Example:

  • Amazon’s House of David used A.I. to generate visually spectacular scenes that would have blown the budget if shot traditionally.
    • “All of this was done with AI…once they got access to AI now they can do this big epic thing.” [05:55]

• Notable Quote:

  • “We're not really used to those creations being created by...computers.” – Michael Barbaro [06:38]
  • “This is fully created by an AI tool.” – Alyssa Wilkinson [07:02]

2. Where Is A.I. Already Showing Up?

(07:08–08:31)

• Social Media:

  • AI-generated videos are pervasive on platforms like Instagram and often go unnoticed.
  • Humorous anecdote:
    • “My husband...came to me and said, ‘Isn't this little old lady cute?’...That’s an AI video.” – Brooks Barnes [07:22–07:40]

• Advertising:

  • Major brands (e.g., Coca-Cola) have started using AI to create commercials—sometimes met with backlash for being “soulless.”
    • “People really saw it as soulless and...digital slop...” – Brooks Barnes [08:12]

3. How Did AI Gain a Foothold in Hollywood Despite Initial Resistance?

(08:31–12:51)

• Industry Turnaround:

  • Initial efforts focused on banning or restricting AI in contracts (led by unions, artists, actors).
  • Over time, curiosity and technological momentum prevailed—especially among directors described as “gearheads.”
    • “Directors are really interested in what this kind of technology can do.” – Brooks Barnes [09:14]

• Hollywood’s DNA:

  • The intertwining of art and technology is longstanding: color, sound, cameras, digital film—all transformative.
    • “It's an art form that is married to technology...has been driven by the development of some new technology.” – Alyssa Wilkinson [09:50]

4. Labor, Jobs & Pathways: Who’s Losing?

(10:40–12:51)

• Middle-Class Impact:
  • Many jobs (extras, VFX, dubbing) are at risk, threatening the entry points and viability for much of Hollywood’s workforce.
    • “Half of the Screen Actors Guild members have done background work...Those kinds of jobs start to go away.” – Alyssa Wilkinson [11:45]
  • “Entire professions...start getting really scary for people.” – Brooks Barnes [12:36]

5. Audience Trust, “Truth”, and the Problem of AI in Documentaries

(12:51–16:35)

• Erosion of Trust:
  • Generative A.I. is speeding up “archival” footage creation for documentaries, sometimes blurring the line between real and fabricated.
    • “We assume when we watch a documentary that the things we’re looking at actually happened...If we're looking at archival video...the old stuff happened.” – Alyssa Wilkinson [13:24]
  • Growing calls within the documentary community to require on-screen disclosure when A.I. is used.
    • Eg: Synthetic voices for deceased subjects (e.g., Anthony Bourdain) [15:11]
  • Fictional Films: Should audiences be notified if an actor’s performance is enhanced or created by A.I.?
    • “Does the viewer have the right to know that Adrien Brody's accent in The Brutalist was enhanced?” – Brooks Barnes [15:54]

6. Creative Potential: Bright Spots & New Frontiers

(19:14–26:04)

• Disney’s Groundbreaking Deal with OpenAI [19:14–22:30]:

  • Disney will let the public use A.I. (OpenAI’s Sora) to make 30-second movies starring its IP, in a clear shift from strict control to managed engagement.
    • “No company is more concerned with how to keep up with what kids want. Children...like to remix things...” – Brooks Barnes [21:55]
  • Disney introduces “guardrails”—e.g., banning adult content (Cinderella, Buzz Lightyear, etc.)

• Democratization vs. Loss of Craft:

  • Alyssa Wilkinson sees both positives and drawbacks:
    • “Elsa is no longer some distant figure on screen, but...someone that we can literally like, help us do the dishes.” – Michael Barbaro [19:57]
    • “If [kids] can make videos with Elsa, then the people who made Elsa...their work is, you know, it's not the same.” – Alyssa Wilkinson [23:44]
    • “I think what they've basically said is we believe that what we create is content, not art.” – Alyssa Wilkinson [24:53]

• Creative Remix Culture:

  • Concern over fair compensation and respect for original creators

7. Bold New Experiences: The Wizard of Oz at Sphere

(26:04–31:05)

• Massive Immersive Venue:

  • The Las Vegas Sphere combines extreme screen real estate, 4D effects (snow, flying apples), and A.I.–reimagined classic films.
  • AI “upscaled” The Wizard of Oz, added background characters, and filled out scenes to fit the new medium.

• Aesthetic Results, Emotional Reactions:

  • Alyssa Wilkinson’s review: AI can enhance cinematic awe, but results can be off-putting (e.g., “dead-eyed” Munchkins).
    • “I actually went in to see it expecting to hate it entirely...the AI tools did not pull off what they were hoping for.” – Alyssa Wilkinson [29:00]
  • When creators are involved, A.I. can enrich the experience; when not, the risk of violating artistic integrity looms.
    • “Can you imagine taking E.T. or Jaws or a Spielberg movie and saying, ‘You won't be involved, Mr. Spielberg, we're going to change everything’?” – Brooks Barnes [30:49]

8. The Big Picture: What Changes, What Doesn’t?

(31:36–35:11)

• AI as a Tool, Not a Platform:

  • “A.I. is not a platform. Right. It's a tool. It's a tool to accomplish certain kinds of tasks.” – Alyssa Wilkinson [32:23]

• Risks:

  • AI could shrink the art form by removing “the human” and deepening Hollywood’s risk-averse tendencies.
    • “To take human out of an art form, I think is inevitably going to shrink the art form.” – Alyssa Wilkinson [32:37]
    • “AI tools make it more possible, not less, to continue to only turn out the same material...slightly remixed over and over.” [33:40]

• Possible Upsides:

  • If AI reduces cost, studios might experiment more creatively.
    • “If the cost of a movie goes down, they are more willing to let it be a little more unusual. Not all the time, but sometimes.” – Brooks Barnes [35:07]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We're awash in A.I. generative content in Hollywood... this invasion has begun.” – Michael Barbaro [08:31]
• “There are whole categories of jobs that are under direct threat. For example, the dubbing business.” – Brooks Barnes [12:13]
• “The push in the documentary world is to... disclose it on screen so that the viewer knows.” – Alyssa Wilkinson [14:44]
• “I think what they've basically said is we believe that what we create is content, not art. And to me, that seems like the end point of all of this.” – Alyssa Wilkinson [24:53]
• “It's the democratization of the art form... but it will make it less possible for people to have those things be seen.” – Alyssa Wilkinson [33:20]
• “If the cost of a movie goes down, they are more willing to let it be a little more unusual. Not all the time, but sometimes.” – Brooks Barnes [35:07]

Important Timestamps

• 03:39 – What’s new: Generative vs. non-generative AI explained
• 05:06 – Example: House of David uses AI for epic Biblical scenes
• 07:08 – Millions seeing AI video content—often without noticing
• 08:31 – Hollywood’s initial opposition, steady adoption
• 10:40 – Labor and class implications of AI
• 12:51 – Erosion of documentary “truth” and A.I.-created performances
• 19:14 – Disney’s deal with OpenAI, user-made AI movies
• 23:44 – The tension between democratization and the threat to craftspeople
• 26:04 – The Wizard of Oz at Sphere: immersive, AI-augmented spectacle and mixed reviews
• 31:36 – Parallel to the Internet disruption, limits of the comparison
• 35:07 – Will AI actually embolden creativity?

Closing Thoughts: Looking Ahead

(36:35–39:21)

• Future of Human Creativity:
  • Both Brooks Barnes and Alyssa Wilkinson end on a note of cautious optimism—anticipating 2026 films that wrestle with these very issues (Toy Story 5, The Bride) and re-imagine old properties through new lenses, human and artificial alike.

Contributors:

• Host: Michael Barbaro
• Guests: Brooks Barnes (NYT Hollywood reporter), Alyssa Wilkinson (film critic)

For listeners or readers seeking a lucid, critical overview of how A.I. is transforming—sometimes unsettling, sometimes enriching—the business and art of Hollywood, this episode is a must.