In a twist that sounds straight out of a sci-fi plot, major Hollywood studios have been caught profiting from AI-generated fake movie trailers on YouTube. 🎬 According to Deadline, instead of shutting down these copyright-infringing videos, studios like Warner Bros. Discovery negotiated with YouTube to redirect the ad revenue to their own coffers. That’s right, the creators who spent minimal effort making these trailers got nothing, while the studios laughed all the way to the bank. 💰
One particularly jaw-dropping example? A fake Superman reboot trailer that even fooled French national television. Director James Gunn’s reaction? Three puking emojis on X, seemingly unaware his own studio was cashing in. 🤢 Talk about a plot twist!
Why would studios allow their brands to be tied to such questionable content? The answer remains as murky as a poorly rendered AI deepfake. But with billions of views, the financial incentive was clear—until YouTube pulled the plug, demonetizing these videos following Deadline‘s exposé. Channels like Screen Culture, notorious for their AI trailers, are now out of the YouTube Partner Program. 🚫
Creators are crying foul, claiming their work was about creative exploration, not deception. KH Studio’s founder insists they were just playing with ‘what if’ scenarios. Meanwhile, Screen Culture, with its 1.4 million subscribers, churned out over 20 AI trailers for Fantastic Four: First Steps alone. 🤯
This saga raises big questions about ethics, copyright, and the future of content creation in the AI era. Is this a race to the bottom, as SAG-AFTRA suggests, or just another day in the wild west of digital media? Stay tuned for the next episode. 🍿
