With increasing consumer demands, advances in technology and significant budget constraints on the rise, could artificial intelligence be the key to creative relief for film makers? In recent technological developments, producer and mathematician Jack Zhang has created an artificial intelligence software tool that utilises mathematical algorithms to analyse audience patterns and demands against existing story points.

The result? The creation of new and original story lines; film producers are now able to cater to audience demands and tailor make new and original plots in accordance with the data collected. However what implications does employing artificial intelligence have on the existing scope of intellectual property rights and the ramifications for future creators?

Intellectual property rights seek to incentivise the creation of genuinely new and valuable intellectual property and promote investment in creative endeavours. Current rights need to be adaptable to compete with technological advances and inventions and to provide greater access to creative works for consumers. But at what cost to the creators of these types of works?

Advances in technology and the use of artificial intelligence are beginning to blur the line between what may be considered copyrightable material. Copyright in itself protects the original expression of a work, so would works produced by artificial intelligence be considered new and original? It also raises the question of whom the exclusive rights in the copyright will rest in; the creator of the artificial intelligence, the corporation that uses the artificial intelligence, or the original creator of the existing story? These are all potential issues that may arise if the true owner of content is not entirely clear.

The increased costs to creators in developing new content whilst competing with consumer demands for creative output have already led to a lack of investment in innovation, resulting in a decrease in economic growth. As a result of the change in the way the creators now produce and deliver creative works, the Australian Government’s Productivity Commission has begun an inquiry into the ways in which Australian intellectual property rights and laws can adapt to market demands and extend the scope of rights for both current and future intellectual property right holders. It’s arguable that, to ensure the future of creative innovation, Australia needs to expand on the current rights offered to copyright holders to improve the balance between rights holders and consumers and to compete with the rapidly changing market.

Article written by Stephanie Manatakis