Focus 2023: Navigating AI in Entertainment
Focus 2023 conference in London is to set the stage for discussions on AI’s creative impact, ethical considerations, and transformative role in entertainment.
The Focus 2023 conference, a gathering for the international production community, is set to take place in London on December 5-6. This event, now in its ninth edition, promises to be the largest yet, featuring over 60 conference sessions and more than 150 expert speakers. It remains a free-to-attend event for industry professionals and spans a range of screen sectors, including film, TV, advertising, animation, games, and XR.
Jean-Frederic Garcia, the managing director of Focus, highlights the growing interest in the conference. “From the first few months of the year, we could feel that Focus was attracting more and more interest from the makers of all the creative screen industries,” Garcia notes. The conference aims to delve into the year's key industry topics, such as financing challenges, sustainable content creation, and technology advancements.
One of the most anticipated topics at this year's event is artificial intelligence (AI). Garcia emphasizes the importance of AI discussions, considering AI a significant and rapidly evolving aspect of the digital world with profound implications. These sessions will explore the impact of new technological advancements on the writing process, the shifting balance of power in the industry following recent strikes, and the optimal ways AI can collaborate with production companies and writers.
Additionally, the discussions will shed light on the legal and ethical implications of AI, with expert opinions and debates on application, the potential for AI to substitute human roles, and the intricacies of navigating this emerging domain with its new set of rules, guidelines, and standards. Experts like Dominic Rees, an associate professor in filmmaking and AI at the University of Reading, and Bob Schultz, president of ScriptFest, will contribute their insights on these subjects.
Garcia points out that a significant part of the conference will revolve around the human aspect of the industry, in light of recent strikes and the evolving landscape for future talents. This will include discussions on mental health and well-being and sessions aimed at guiding new talent through market navigation from financing to distribution.
Focus 2023 is set to be a landmark event at the end of year, offering a comprehensive look at the current state and future of the global entertainment industry, with a special emphasis on the integration and impact of AI.