Steven Yeun and John Cho Discussed AI Use in Entertainment
Steven Yeun and John Cho emphasized the human essence of film and TV productions in the age of AI at a panel in Busan.
In a recent appearance at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), Hollywood actors and members of the SAG-AFTRA, Steven Yeun and John Cho, shared their perspectives on the pressing topics of the ongoing strike and the developing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on the cinematic world. It was noted that the union rules restricted them from answering questions about their previous US film and TV projects, including Yeun’s ‘Beef’, ‘Minari’, and Cho’s ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Searching’.
The strikes, largely instigated by demands for safeguarding actors’ work from AI and more equitable pay scales, have cast a almost-three-month shadow over the film community. Yeun emphasized that such strikes were righteous as they were not indicative of immediate issues, but they mirrored deeper systemic challenges. “The commerce-driven world”, as Yeun stated, “sometimes gets in the way of understanding the lives of individuals,” especially the ones who “don’t have safeguards and don’t have the ability to weather the storms."
Cho spoke directly about AI as he observed parallels between the entertainment industry and others where automation has led to job losses. He highlighted that the essence of cinema is human expression, and reducing human involvement behind the scenes would diminish the art form. By advocating for better wages and overall compensation, unions help “ensure that people stay in the business, continue to work, become better, and then the art form becomes better as people have more experience.”
The importance of film and TV productions and the involved human expression and experiences was further discussed by another member on the panel, Korean American actor-director Justin Chon. While Yeun could not comment on his past projects, Chon brought up the Netflix series ‘Beef’, which he considered “built a bridge between East and West… the show did such an incredible job of taking the things that matter to both east and west audiences and putting it into one stew.” It is an example demonstrating film and TV’s power of shaping and resonating with the audience as well as the necessary involvement of human experience with societies, cultures and emotions in film and TV productions.
What was underscored is the need to find a harmonious balance between leveraging technology and safeguarding the foundational human elements of entertainment productions as well as work opportunities and conditions for industry professionals.