Artificial Intelligence’s potential to benefit rather than disrupt Asia’s creative sectors was a central theme during the opening sessions of the AI conference at the Busan Asian Contents and Film Market. Jerry Chi, who heads Stability AI in Japan, delivered a keynote on AI innovation within Asian content, highlighting tools such as the Stable Diffusion image generation model. Chi emphasized AI’s pivotal role in ideation and communication for visual effects and character design, quoting Stability AI’s CTO, Hanno Basse: “Generative AI and machine learning, which is the primary form of AI being used, is actually great for digital effects and it’s good for ideation and communication.”
Chi celebrated Asia’s diverse cultural landscape, noting its potential to inspire groundbreaking AI-driven creative work. “One thing I really love about working with this space and being in Asia is that there’s a very rich, diverse culture, both a traditional culture and modern culture. And there’s so many countries and peoples and languages and festivals and all these things in Asia, which can inspire creators. This can inspire people to create various kinds of AI. It can also inspire people to put various inputs or various creative combinations of AI to create new kinds of creative work that people might not think of in other regions,” he stated.
Furthermore, Chi showcased new AI video tools that translate simple 3D animations into varied visual styles, emphasizing the importance of control and consistency in film production. He pointed to the growing interest from major studios in adopting AI technology, revealing, “We’re talking to large studios already. There are some large studios that are starting to use AI in a serious way.”
Chi wrapped up his keynote by quoting James Cameron, a new member of Stability AI’s board: “While AI tools can streamline processes and automate and even add to certain elements of the filmmaking process, the essence of storytelling fundamentally relies on human emotions, experiences and imagination that cannot be replicated by machines.” This sentiment was echoed in subsequent sessions, where industry leaders discussed AI’s roadmap and strategic business implications for Asia’s content industry. Aaron Zhu of Dentsu Inc, Zhu Liang of iQiyi, and Park Kiju of WYSIWYG Studios shared insights on AI’s transformative potential in storytelling and filmmaking, predicting an era of democratized creative expression supported by AI.
