Sources: 
Hollywood is experiencing a discreet surge in AI usage, with actors like Natasha Lyonne highlighting a lack of transparency about its prevalence.
The entertainment industry is evolving technologically, as noted by insiders who compare current AI adoption to past innovations by pioneers like Walt Disney and George Lucas. "
The story of Hollywood is the story of technology," one expert said.
In 2023, the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) launched the CAA Vault, a project designed to digitally capture and control the likenesses of its clients, signaling a strategic move to manage AI's impact on image rights.
Following the 2023 strikes by writers and actors, new contracts introduced AI guardrails, ensuring that union members maintain some control over how studios deploy AI technologies.
Despite these measures, Lyonne and others have observed that many industry players remain reticent about the extent of AI's integration, suggesting a hidden expansion of AI tools in Hollywood's creative processes.
This trend reflects a broader narrative where AI is becoming a transformative force in filmmaking, quietly reshaping production while raising questions about transparency and rights management.
"Over the past few years in Hollywood, it had become clear to Lyonne that many people were not being forthright with how often they were using the technology," the reports state.
"Back in 2023, the agency had launched a project, called the CAA Vault, to capture the likeness of all its clients so it could own and control the rights to their images," highlighting industry efforts to adapt.
"When the writers and actors unions ended their strikes in 2023, the new contracts included guardrails on AI — ensuring, for the moment anyway, that their members retained some measure of control over how the studios could use the technology," underscoring ongoing negotiations around AI's role.
As generative AI moves from fringe tech to mainstream tool, Hollywood's hidden AI surge signals a new chapter in the intersection of creativity and technology.
Sources: Hollywood is quietly embracing AI technology, with actors like Natasha Lyonne revealing that its use is often kept secret. Despite new contracts setting AI limits post-2023 strikes, agencies like CAA are capturing client likenesses for control, reflecting a tech-driven evolution in filmmaking.
