More and more people are fleeing Ukraine for the safety of Germany. Many refugees are being taken in by locals who can help them to navigate the bureaucracy while offering security and support. There’s just one problem.
Yes, it really is Peter standing in front of me in C3's Munich studio. If we had conducted the interview online, my interviewee could perhaps have simply sent his AI avatar forward. After all, it is now possible to use generative AI to imitate people with their voice, gestures and reactions in such a way that it is theoretically already possible to shoot entire films with AI actors. This rapid development of AI tools accompanies Peter in his daily work as a film producer and creative mind. Here, he talks about why the human factor remains indispensable in the creative industry and how he sees AI as a powerful ally in the creation of new visual worlds and emotional content.
AI tools such as Midjourney and Sora are becoming increasingly important. How do they influence your work as a creative?
Generative AI is now firmly integrated into our daily work, especially in the audiovisual sector. We use it for many tasks, from image design to audio production. Last year, the focus was on audio, especially text-to-speech technologies, and now it's all about video. The speed at which these technologies are developing is impressive, and you have to stay on the ball to avoid being left behind.
What makes these technologies so special and disruptive?
Synthetic voices have changed audio dramatically as they allow us to work faster and more cost-efficiently. For example, we can now separate tracks such as audio, voiceover and music relatively easily, which used to be almost impossible. An impressive example is the Beatles' last song, where AI was used to extract John Lennon's voice from an old tape.
Do you think that human speakers and actors could be replaced by AI in the long term?
For more informative content, synthetic voices are extremely useful, but they reach their limits when it comes to emotional content, as the right intonations are often missing. Therefore, I don't think that human speakers and actors could be completely replaced in the near future.
Where do humans remain indispensable in creative work?
The more creative and high-quality a project needs to be, the more people it needs. We work at least according to the "Human in the Loop" principle, but mostly with "Human in the Lead". As a companion on the creative journey, Midjourney literally only takes you as far as the middle. AI can provide support, but without a brilliant idea and the relevant expertise, it won't work.
Many people fear for their jobs due to the use of AI. How do you see this in relation to your work?
I don't see my job in danger. There's a saying: "A tool replaces a job, but not a person." As long as you can handle the new tools and use them for yourself, your job remains secure. The creativity and inventiveness that we as humans bring to the table cannot be replaced by AI.
So you see AI more as a promoter of creativity?
Exactly. I see AI as an enabler of creativity. It opens up new paths and possibilities for us that were previously unthinkable, such as creating new visual worlds or working with chatbots. These new technologies expand our creative horizons without restricting them.
And how do you ensure that AI-generated content is well received by people?
Trust and transparency are crucial. You have to clearly state when something is AI-generated and the quality has to be right. If these points are met, AI can work very well. It shouldn't just be about using AI; the quality of the content must be convincing.
Finally, which AI tools do you prefer to use in your day-to-day work?
I often use ChatGPT and Midjourney to create new visual worlds or generate texts. For audio, I work a lot with ElevenLabs for synthesized voices. These tools help me to work more efficiently without compromising the creative quality.
