Martin Scorceses AI adventure points to Hollywoods future like it or not

Et tu, Martin Scorsese?The “Goodfellas” director shocked Hollywood last month by embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help him craft storyboards, used by filmmakers to flesh out scene-by-scene moments.When one of the industry’s biggest names touts AI, it’s clear Tinseltown will never be the same.And that might make the 83-year-old auteur happy, but it’s miserable news for an industry facing one body blow after the next.Sure, theaters are booming thanks to “Obsession,” “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and “Toy Story 5,” but LA employment figures tell another story.TheWrap reports that film and sound recording industries shed 3,600 jobs last month.

“The Pitt” star Noah Wyle recently noted that LA has shed 42,000 entertainment jobs in just the past few years.Call it a Hollywood disaster epic.California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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Never miss a story Hollywood’s jobs crisis was a hot topic in the recent California primary, playing a role in the debates for California governor and LA mayor.Candidates tried to one-up each other in offering meatier incentives to keep productions in-state.Enter AI.

The technology may help Hollywood stay profitable at a tricky economic moment, but it could also cost many artisans their livelihoods.In a tragic irony, some currently employed artists are helping train AI systems, likely to the point where the computers will soon replace them.And for all the industry’s tough talk against the new technology, like Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro saying he’d rather die than use AI, others are following Scorsese’s lead.Look at Ben Affleck, who quietly sold his three-year-old AI film production company, InterPositive, to Netflix.

(He’s staying on board as a senior advisor.)Ask Tilly Norwood, or at least the team that cr...