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The invention of Warner Bros has a partnership with Google to integrate the internet giant’s AI technology into its Max video streaming platform to automatically generate captions.
The two companies said they are working to make Max’s captions more accurate using a new caption generation tool, which they refer to internally as “caption AI.”
He said the technology, built on Google’s Vertex AI development platform for generative AI products, can automatically convert video content into text. It will initially be used for unscripted programming in Max, as opposed to scripted shows and movies where dialogue is already available.
The new tool cuts costs related to generating captions by 50%, while creating new file descriptions can also take up to 80% less time thanks to Google’s AI technology, Warner Bros. Discovery and Google said.
Avi Saxena, chief technology officer of Warner Bros. Discovery’s direct-to-consumer business, said in a statement that providing high-quality captions is important to the company.
“Working with Google Cloud to utilize Vertex AI in Warner Bros. Discovery’s caption AI workflow not only helps speed up our captioning process, but also increases our efficiency and speed, while reducing costs,” added Saxena.
Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, the tech giant’s cloud computing division, said the partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery shows “the potential of AI to transform various processes in the media and entertainment industry that have real business impact.”
The company’s Max platform offers a large library of movies and TV shows, including the fantasy hit “Game of Thrones” and the spinoff series “House of the Dragon,” as well as “The Last of Us,” a zombie apocalypse series adapted from a video game of the same name. .
The world of media and entertainment is increasingly looking to AI to cut some of the cost-intensive processes of content creation and production. But it has raised concerns in the industry that jobs could be replaced by automation.
In an interview earlier this month, Rob Minkoff, director of 1994’s The Lion King, told CNBC that there are “legitimate concerns” about the rise of AI and its impact on Hollywood, but ultimately he sees the technology having a democratizing effect on film and entertainment.
“I think what AI will do is democratize the content creation process, because if someone is given these incredible tools, then what we’re going to see is an explosion of content, an explosion of new voices,” Minkoff, 62, told CNBC at the time.
In the case of AI captions, Warner Bros. Discovery and Google are working on technology that could eventually automate a large chunk of the work done by manual caption transcribers. However, both companies note that manual transcripts are still required to check AI-generated transcripts for accuracy.
