Hollywood’s AI Cash Grab: How Studios Monetized Fake Trailers Before YouTube Pulled the Plug ๐Ÿš€

AI-generated fake movie trailer playing on a YouTube screen

In a plot twist no one saw coming, Hollywood studios were quietly raking in cash from AI-generated fake movie trailersโ€”until YouTube pulled the plug on their little scheme. It’s a story that shines a spotlight on the shady, money-making side of the entertainment industry’s love affair with AI. ๐Ÿš€

Here’s the kicker: Deadline reports that instead of putting a stop to these copyright nightmares, studios cut deals with YouTube to pocket the ad revenue from these bogus trailers. Talk about having your cake and eating it tooโ€”profiting off the buzz of AI fakes while playing the victim. ๐Ÿ’ฐ

Take that fake Superman reboot trailer, for instance. It was so convincing, a French TV network bit the bait. Director James Gunn wasn’t happy, and who could blame him? But here’s the twistโ€”Warner Bros. Discovery was laughing all the way to the bank, thanks to the trailer’s sky-high views.

This whole mess leaves us scratching our heads: Just how much dough did studios make off these AI hoaxes? And more importantly, what’s next for copyright when AI can churn out convincing fakes overnight? With some videos hitting billions of views, the cash was too good to ignore, sparking fury from SAG-AFTRA over the industry’s ‘anything for a buck’ attitude.

YouTube’s recent move to stop monetizing these AI fakes is a game-changer. Channels like Screen Culture got the boot from the YouTube Partner Program, showing they’re serious about cracking down. But with creators like KH Studio’s founder arguing their trailers were art, not scams, the fight over AI’s place in entertainment is just heating up.

So, is this the end for AI fake trailers, or just a hiccup? One thing’s for sure: the clash between AI, entertainment, and big money is a high-stakes showdown with no clear winner in sight.

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