Featured Articles

Home
SAG-AFTRA Tightens the Rules on AI Voice Replication
SAG-AFTRA Tightens the Rules on AI Voice Replication

The union’s February guidance shows where the next labor fight is heading

Read More →
Netflix Buys Ben Affleck’s AI Studio
Netflix Buys Ben Affleck’s AI Studio

Why the streamer’s February acquisition signals a shift in how movies may be made

Read More →
Runway Pushes Generative Video Toward Filmmaking
Runway Pushes Generative Video Toward Filmmaking

The February release of Gen-3 production tools targets professional creators

Read More →
The Digital Crowd Is Replacing the Background Actor
The Digital Crowd Is Replacing the Background Actor

AI crowd simulation tools are quietly changing how large scenes get made

Read More →
Liza Minnelli and the Consent Case for AI
Liza Minnelli and the Consent Case for AI

Why one artist’s embrace of generative tools complicates Hollywood’s moral line

Read More →
Adobe’s Hollywood Strategy Comes Into Focus
Adobe’s Hollywood Strategy Comes Into Focus

Why Firefly’s studio partnerships signal a different AI endgame

Read More →
Hollywood’s “Stealing Isn’t Innovation” Moment
Hollywood’s “Stealing Isn’t Innovation” Moment

Why a new artist coalition is forcing AI training out of the shadows

Read More →
Brad Pitt and the Economics of the Digital Double
Brad Pitt and the Economics of the Digital Double

Why A-list stars are renegotiating longevity, not novelty, in the AI era

Read More →
Awards Season Meets Artificial Intelligence
Awards Season Meets Artificial Intelligence

Why eligibility rules are becoming Hollywood’s next AI battleground

Read More →

Reel AI: Erik Barmack’s biweekly article for The Ankler

Why Did Ben Affleck Start an AI Company in Secret?

Read Full Article

Erik Barmack’s Reel AI Column from The Ankler

Featured
Why Did Ben Affleck Start an AI Company in Secret?
Why Did Ben Affleck Start an AI Company in Secret?

Hollywood stars issue stern warnings while quietly building startups behind the tech

How Hollywood Choked Sora 2’s Rise
How Hollywood Choked Sora 2’s Rise

ByteDance’s AI reconnaissance strike and the four strategic choices now facing the studios before the next attack

How Hollywood Choked Sora 2’s Rise
How Hollywood Choked Sora 2’s Rise

The numbers don’t lie. And it turns out this industry still knows how to close ranks

The Oscars’ AI Lie: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
The Oscars’ AI Lie: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

Last year’s ‘Brutalist’ controversy gave way to a landscape where the tech is rewarded — as long as it’s cloaked in prestige

Anthropic Is a $350 Billion Problem for Hollywood About to Strike
Anthropic Is a $350 Billion Problem for Hollywood About to Strike

Soon, the company’s Claude will be as standard in industry offices as Slack and Excel — reshaping who gets hired and what gets made

8 AI Companies Doing This the Right Way (and Won’t Get You Sued)
8 AI Companies Doing This the Right Way (and Won’t Get You Sued)

My picks for Hollywood to get behind in 2026 as Big Tech’s shortcuts catch up

INTRO TO AI

Quick Explainers on Basic AI Terms and Tools

Home
Intro to AI: How does ChatGPT work?
Intro to AI: How does ChatGPT work?

We’ve all seen the seemingly magical pitches/scenes ChatGPT is able to create. How does it work?

Read More →
Intro to AI: Using the ChatGPT App
Intro to AI: Using the ChatGPT App

ChatGPT recently released an app to use on your mobile device

Read More →
Intro to AI: 4 Things to Keep In Mind When Using ChatGPT
Intro to AI: 4 Things to Keep In Mind When Using ChatGPT

ChatGPT is a powerful tool, but it has limitations and drawbacks

Read More →
Intro to AI: How to Use ChatGPT Effectively
Intro to AI: How to Use ChatGPT Effectively

Some tips to getting the most out of the popular AI tool

Read More →
Intro to AI: Definitions
Intro to AI: Definitions

Some commonly used AI terms to help you understand the conversation

Read More →

ALL ARTICLES

Business Courtney Barmack Business Courtney Barmack

Why is the WGA striking over AI?

As AI's capabilities have expanded, so too have concerns about job security for human writers. With the potential for AI to automate scriptwriting and other forms of writing, fears are mounting that human writers might become redundant.

Read More