Amazon MGM Draws 2,500 to AI Conference as Hollywood Still Resists Generative Tools
Updated
Updated · Deadline · May 31
Amazon MGM Draws 2,500 to AI Conference as Hollywood Still Resists Generative Tools
2 articles · Updated · Deadline · May 31
Nearly 2,500 attendees gathered at Amazon MGM Studios’ Culver City lot for the two-day AI on the Lot conference, underscoring rising interest in AI even as Hollywood remains divided over its use.
Amazon used the event to showcase Prime Video, AWS and a generative-AI creators’ fund, but the tension surfaced quickly when filmmaker Jorge R. Gutierrez withdrew his newly announced animated project after backlash from peers and followers.
Paul Schrader argued fully AI-generated protagonists could soon become box-office draws, yet most speakers and attendees said humans must remain central to writing, directing and performance, citing creative and copyright concerns.
Section 230 emerged as a major policy fault line, with legal and industry experts saying AI companies are unlikely to keep broad immunity when their models help generate unlawful outputs.
The conference reflected a broader shift since the 2023 strikes: optimism around AI is growing, but adoption in Hollywood still hinges on labor trust, copyright rules and looming regulation.
With AI firms facing new legal liabilities, is the business model for automated entertainment already broken?
Unions won protections against AI, but can new rules truly safeguard the future of human creativity?
Amazon’s $2.6 Trillion AI Gamble: How Project Nara and GenAI Fund Are Reshaping Hollywood’s Creative Workforce in 2026
Overview
By mid-2026, the entertainment industry is rapidly embracing artificial intelligence, especially after the resolution of the 2023 Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which were driven by fears about AI. This shift has led to wider acceptance of AI technologies. Amazon is at the forefront, making a bold move into generative AI for entertainment by building a unique end-to-end AI content creation ecosystem. Responding to creators’ concerns that AI might not meet their needs, Amazon is working to turn generative AI into practical tools for the industry, aiming to empower artists and reshape how content is created from start to finish.