Everything Everywhere At Once movie producer Agbio Studios has hired AI veteran Dominic Hughes as its newly created chief science officer, the production company said on Thursday.
Hughes will now work with AGBO's in-house teams to develop its AI capabilities to “enhance the creative process,” the company said.
AGBO was founded by brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, who directed the highest-grossing films in Hollywood history and are considered legends in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
“At AGBO, we are constantly focused on a leading approach to technology and innovation,” Russo Brothers said in a statement. “Working together with our writers, directors, crew and technologists, Dr. Hughes will help us think of new ways to empower artists to tell their boldest and biggest stories.”
Before joining AGBO, Hughes, who has a PhD, was from Oxford and an expert in algorithms, machine learning and AI, and led Apple News after Swell, the audio news app that was acquired by the tech giant in 2014.
“This is an exciting time to partner with creative visionaries to develop the next generation of filmmaking technology,” said Hughes. Agbo's long history of embracing and adapting technologically advanced filmmaking techniques makes them well positioned for this age of discovery.
Hughes' appointment comes amid growing industry debate about AI's role in Hollywood.
Members of the Writers Guild of America, for example, carefully watched Hollywood's embrace of AI in 2015. Following the strike in 2023, some fear that it could replace writers in the future – which played a major role.
WGA member and screenwriter Jamarcus Turner told Decrypt: “There's clear language in the contract to prevent certain things from happening. But there's nothing prohibiting the exploration of these technologies.”
Turner, who previously wrote “Bob Hurts' Abishola” for CBS and served as a captain during the strike, believes the studios are preparing for the next round of negotiations between the writers' union and Hollywood studios.
“If I had to guess, all the studios will continue their research until the next contract,” he said. “They are setting the table for the future, once approved, to be at the forefront of this ugly practice.”
Edited by Sebastian Sinclair.
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