Amazon turns to AI to cut film and TV production costs

Amazon is stepping up its use of artificial intelligence to accelerate film and television production, as studios across Hollywood struggle with rising costs and growing anxiety over AI’s impact on creative jobs.

According to a Reuters report, Amazon MGM Studios has formed a dedicated AI studio to build tools that reduce costs and streamline production. The effort is led by Amazon MGM Studios Head of Digital, Albert Cheng, a veteran entertainment executive.

Inside Amazon MGM Studios

Amazon plans to launch a closed beta of its AI tools in March with select industry partners, with early findings expected by May. The company says soaring production budgets have limited how many projects studios can fund and how much creative risk they can afford to take.

Cheng described the AI Studio as a small, agile unit inspired by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s “two-pizza team” philosophy. The team mainly includes engineers and scientists, supported by a smaller creative and business group.

The focus is on solving what Cheng calls the “last mile” problem, adapting existing AI technology to the real needs of filmmakers. Tools currently in development are designed to enhance character consistency between scenes and integrate well with other popular creative software used in the film industry.

However, there is still a concern that AI might replace human involvement in the film industry, and this fear has been expressed by a number of prominent actors. Cheng dismissed such concerns, stating that the role of AI is to assist, not replace, the human creative process.

Amazon is using Amazon Web Services and working with multiple large language model providers to offer flexibility across pre- and post-production. The AI Studio is collaborating with creators such as Robert Stromberg, Kunal Nayyar and Colin Brady.

Amazon says its series House of David already shows how AI filmmaking can expand scale while keeping costs down, signalling how artificial intelligence could reshape the entertainment industry.