Disney Experiments With AI Characters as IP and Labor Risks Loom

Walt Disney Co. is running internal experiments that use generative artificial-intelligence software to create realistic versions of its popular characters, including a photorealistic ‘Moana’ and an expletive-laden Darth Vader, according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal. People familiar with the trials say the company wants to shorten production cycles and trim post-production costs but is proceeding cautiously as it weighs the risk of violating its own copyrights, provoking fan backlash and running afoul of actors’ and writers’ union agreements. The tests underscore a broader legal gray area for studios: U.S. copyright law has yet to clarify ownership of AI-generated content, while ongoing labor talks in Hollywood increasingly focus on how machine-learning tools could displace creative workers.