AI's Growing Presence in Entertainment Industry

Toys “R” Us has made a bold move into the world of film by partnering with creative agency Native Foreign to debut a short film using the AI technology known as Sora. The 66-second promo tells the story of the brand's founder, Charles Lazarus, and his vision to revolutionize toy stores with the help of the iconic mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe. While some viewers found the film compelling and a glimpse into the future of filmmaking, others described it as "creepy." The AI model Sora, developed by OpenAI, is capable of generating realistic and imaginative videos up to 60 seconds in length based on text prompts. Kim Miller, CMO of Toys “R” Us Creative studios, shared that the concept for the film was born out of a desire to create something "fun" and "different" for their next project, focusing on the founder's origin story. Despite the use of AI technology, Miller emphasized the importance of human involvement throughout the creative process to ensure the desired emotional impact. While OpenAI has not yet announced an official release date for Sora, rumors suggest it could launch later this summer. Toys “R” Us is currently exploring advertising opportunities for the promo, aiming to leverage the innovative use of AI in filmmaking to capture audience attention. The company's CMO, Kim Miller, highlighted the importance of firsthand experience with technology like AI to truly understand its capabilities and potential impact, emphasizing the need to go beyond hearsay and embrace new tools in storytelling and marketing. In other news, Radio Schuman, a new podcast offering relevant news and insights from Brussels and beyond, has been introduced as a go-to source for weekday mornings. With a focus on providing information without bias or commentary, the podcast aims to deliver valuable content to listeners. Additionally, podcasts like The Big Question, Euronews Tech Talks, Ocean, and Climate Now offer diverse perspectives on entrepreneurship, technology, environmental issues, and climate change, providing engaging discussions and insights into key global topics.