Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore — Disney and AI: The Threat, The Opportunity, and The Worry
Let's examine Disney and AI. What does the emerging and growing tech trend mean for the House of Mouse?
Welcome back to Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore!
In this issue, we will be covering:
Disney and AI: The Threat, The Opportunity, and The Worry 🤖
Bob Iger’s Contract Extension & His Costly Comments 📰 💰
Boardwalk Store Additions 🛒
Podcast Plugs 🎙
Links of the Month 📰
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Disney and AI: The Threat, The Opportunity, and The Worry
We are in the AI era, so it only makes sense to dive into what the AI era could mean for The Walt Disney Company.
“It’s pretty clear that AI represents some pretty interesting opportunities for us, and some substantial benefits. In fact, we are already starting to use AI to create some efficiencies and ultimately to better serve consumers. Getting close to the consumer is a real goal of ours. But it is also clear that AI is going to be highly disruptive and could be difficult to manage, particularly from an IP management perspective,”
“I can tell you that our legal team is working overtime already to try to come to grips with what could be some of the challenges here. So I would have to say I am bullish overall about the prospects for efficiencies and better service to customers. On the other hand, I think there is a lot we are going to have to contend with that will be quite disruptive and quite challenging.” — Disney CEO Bob Iger during Disney’s Q2 call
The Threat
Every industry and every company will eventually have to deal with AI. The highly disruptive technology can be extremely helpful but without certain guidelines or rules, it could lead to various issues such as job losses and a lack of creativity. For a company like Disney, AI could also be a disruption to its IP and its squeaky-clean brand.
With advancements in AI animation, drawings, and voice work there is nothing stopping people from making their “own” Disney, Star Wars, Pixar, or Marvel films/sequences. Disney can’t do everything to stop this but it has to be a concern that someone could make a AI voice of Mickey Mouse saying inappropriate things. Heck, AI could potentially cause Disney’s next culture war issue. It wouldn’t take long to use AI and pass it off as real.
Iger says Disney’s legal team is working overtime to address the challenge of AI. Can Disney deal with this disruptive threat? Especially when it comes to protecting its beloved IP’s?
Not to mention, AI could also lead to damaging creative decisions if it’s used without oversight.
The Opportunity
Iger said he’s bullish on AI and even said it represents some “pretty interesting opportunities.” Iger said Disney is already using AI to create some efficiencies and better serve consumers.
It’s also worth noting before AI became all the rage, Disney Research has been working on AI projects since 2014. So, this didn’t happen overnight.
Here are some of Disney Research’s projects:
Persistent Memory in Repeated Child-Robot Conversations: How a robot can use information from prior conversations with the same child to foster a sense of relationship over time.
A Deep Learning Approach for Generalized Speech Animation: Automatically generate natural-looking speech animation that synchronizes to input speech.
Disney’s De-Aging Tool: Disney can save hours of post-production by de-aging actors in seconds.
Iger didn’t further elaborate on the efficiencies, better ways to serve consumers and the pretty interesting opportunities. So let’s speculate on that!
Efficiencies: Automating repetitive tasks for cast members, executives, and others working for the company. Potential cost savings by using more AI-based tools.
Better ways to serve consumers: Utilizing AI in the Disney+ interface, advanced search, and maybe more personalization. For the parks, overhaul Disney Parks apps with a better AI, a chatbot, and more.
Pretty interesting opportunities: AI on Disney+ (advanced search), AI in the Disney Parks (Genie/New FastPass AI?), and using AI in potential Disney video games & consumer products.
Disney is also planning on hiring multiple roles that are focused on AI. They’ve been wanting to get on the AI bandwagon for a while. The Hollywood Reporter wrote that one of the job listings was for a R&D Imagineer, where the job would focus on generative AI, and Disney is looking for someone who has “the ambition to push the limits of what AI tools can create, and understand the difference between the voice of data and the voice of a designer, writer or artist.”
One of the other roles Disney is hiring on the AI side is a machine learning engineer at Disney Streaming Advanced Research division. The job is responsible for “creating AI-enabled solutions for Disney+, Star+, and ESPN+” and will “use AI to work on advanced personalization efforts involving digital avatars.”
I’m sure more listings similar to the Imagineer job and the streaming job will be available. Disney+ building digital avatars could be a unique and safe way to use AI as well.
The job postings come amidst the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes, where AI is a huge topic. Yet, Disney wants to explore this trending tech. Iger previously said, “Nothing is going to stop technological advancement, “ during his return to Disney town hall and he even mentioned AI tech as “something that at some point in the future the company will embrace.”
The embracing of AI is already here for Disney, so buckle up. Despite the strikes and the controversy around it, Disney sees unique opportunities to utilize AI.
The Worry
The worry section is just an extension of the threat section. I feel like it’s worth pointing out how disruptive AI could end up being. It could potentially reduce the need for writers, cast members, Imagineers, etc. Hopefully, Disney recognizes that AI doesn’t have a heart, a brain, or the sense of magic that makes Disney and its team of talented creatives so special.
Disney is going to continue to explore AI. Marvel Studios used AI for the opening sequence of Secret Invasion. The opening sequence was universally panned, and Marvel never gave a logical reason for using AI instead of just making real art.
Disney and AI are on an inevitable collision course. It will be fascinating to see how The Mouse embraces AI. I also have a feeling this won’t be my last time diving into this.
Have a topic you want me to cover? Drop me a line at boardwalktimes@yahoo.com!
Bob Iger’s Contract Extension & His Costly Comments
Bob Iger isn’t going anywhere.
Disney has locked Iger in as CEO until at least December 2026. The Disney Board decided to kick succession down the road and opted for stable leadership as Disney goes through a transformation and as the company faces some turbulence. The company as of late has dealt with unique problems, so Iger will be around to hopefully fix them.
Despite the turbulence at Disney, Iger loves the job and the company. It’s not surprising he kicked succession down the road—yet again. He probably feels like he’s capable of leading for a bit longer. As I wrote earlier this month, Iger is the youngest 72-year-old of all time and who would turn down making mind-blowingly good money while being hailed as a returning, conquering hero?
That 11-month break must’ve really recharged him.
However, since his shocking comeback, Iger has been making questionable comments and giving unusually blunt answers. Most of the time, fans & the media just gloss over it (because well he’s not Bob Chapek, Iger can get away with iffy & questionable comments).
Yet, this time Iger’s glow and aura didn’t work.
Iger said his personal thoughts out loud when it came to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Despite, deflecting a ton of questions during this interview, Iger decided to take on this hot-button issue. Many assumed Bob Iger would be the one to mediate the strike and bring the studios and unions together. Nope, not even close, he decided to take the time to call the strikes and the demand of the unions, “not realistic.”
Just a bizarre decision from Bob. I also wonder when Bob Iger finally calls Zenia Mucha to come back to Disney and leave her role at TikTok. Maybe he will, because it’s clear he’s not getting good communication/PR advice.
Has Iger reached a point of simply not caring?
Iger showed a complete lack of self-awareness with his strike comments but during that same CNBC interview, he also revealed his thought process behind some of Disney’s challenges.
Less content from Marvel and Star Wars: Iger said Marvel doing television caused “diluted focus and attention.” Secret Invasion is the epitome of that. But then again Iger can sit on the throne and blame Marvel and Pixar for some woes but in reality, weren’t Iger and Chapek the ones pushing hard for these studios to contribute to Disney+?
Disney wants a partner for ESPN: But who will be that partner? Apple? They could definitely help with distribution. The leagues themselves would be ballsy. I don’t see the NFL or NBA investing in ESPN. It doesn’t seem like it would be beneficial for the leagues. Could Fanatics be a play? What about *gasp* a sports betting company? It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Disney may part with some linear channels: Yet this is another thing. If Disney gets rid of ABC, then what do they do about the Super Bowl that they will host on ABC in a few years due to their NFL deal? What about the synergy machine? Marketing costs would skyrocket if they lose these networks. Who’s buying Freeform if it doesn’t come with Disney content? The same goes for FX and even ABC.
We got Bob Iger at Disney until 2026. Will he accomplish more in this second run? Will he solve some of the issues that Disney is facing? Or will he end up pulling the ultimate “jail out of free” card and selling the entire company to Apple?
Hey, that sounds like a newsletter for another time. I would subscribe so you don’t miss that future edition.
New Additions to Boardwalk Store
The Haunted Collection has materialized. If you’re a fan of Haunted Mansion these shirts are for you. (BUY)
Skrull SZN Tee! Celebrate Secret Invasion or your Skrull fandom with this shirt. (BUY)
We got more in the pipeline… designs inspired by the Parks, The Muppets, Marvel, and more are coming in the next few weeks. What do you want to see from the Store? Take this survey!
Want to write for Boardwalk Times? Check this out.
Podcast Plugs 🎙
I was joined by Thomas Carter Rochester to break down the finale of Secret Invasion and boy did we have some thoughts! Plus we dive into the future of MCU Phase 5. (Spotify) (Apple)
Big shoutout to Richard Nebens, Josh Martin-Jones, Savannah Sanders, Klein Felt, John Ross Bradford, and Thomas Carter Rochester for all coming on the pod to talk Secret Invasion this season. (Spotify) (Apple)
This is the Waycast returns with Ahsoka in August. Subscribe to the feed. (Spotify) (Apple)
LINKS OF THE MONTH
— ‘The Lone Ranger’ in Disneyland: The Untold Story of the Film’s Scrapped Big Thunder Mountain Overlay. (TheWrap)
— A fascinating feature on Kevin Perjurer of Defunctland. (Slate)
— There is going to be a $2 billion “Americana-themed" theme park in Oklahoma come 2026. I’ll be writing about this story very soon. (Theme Park Insider)
— Ethan Becker provided some updates from Disneyland Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood. (Boardwalk Times)
— Kelly McCubbin gives a phenomenal list of theme park books to read. (Boardwalk Times)
— No More Mr. Nice Guy: Bob Iger May Just Want to Sell Disney and Be Done. (TheWrap)
— The Acolyte is going to feature a ton of lightsaber action. (Entertainment Weekly)
— Leading With Imagination: How Disney's Imagineering President Barbara Bouza Curates Creativity. (Essence)
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