AI Unlocks Entertainment 'Crown Jewels' for Fans — SkimNews
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- Shari Reich, Nvidia's Global Head of Audio and Music Developer Relations, said entertainment companies are sitting on "crown jewels" — untapped catalogues, demos, and tracks "literally sitting in a warehouse" — that AI could digitize for fan discovery and engagement.
- Simon Robinson, Warner Bros. Discovery's president of Global Experiences and Studio Operations, said the company's Burbank studio tour lets guests interact with Superman's robot "Gary" from James Gunn's 2025 film for about 15 minutes inside the Fortress of Solitude, with plans to use AI to personalize interactions with Gary or the Harry Potter Sorting Hat guest-by-guest.
- Robinson pushed back on purely individualized AI experiences, citing Taylor Swift's Eras Tour — "10 million people didn't buy a ticket... to have their own experience" — as proof fans still seek shared, stadium-scale moments across entertainment.
- Reich highlighted Spotify's AI-powered DJ tool as a working model and pointed to the platform's upcoming AI remix feature, which will let fans reshape songs and share them person-to-person "while also maintaining artist integrity."
- Vamsi Duvvuri, EY Americas' AI leader for Technology, Media and Entertainment and Telecommunications, warned against using "AI for AI's sake," noting catalog tagging remains "heavily manual" and that "good AI requires good data" collected with intent.
- The panel, titled "Beyond the Screen: How AI is the Catalyst for Next-Gen Experiences," was moderated by UCLA Anderson's Jay Tucker and held at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills as part of Variety's summit presented by EY.
Why it matters: Entertainment companies sitting on dormant catalogues stand to unlock new revenue streams — Warner Bros. Discovery is already using AI to extend its 15-minute Burbank studio-tour interactions beyond scripted encounters, and Spotify's upcoming remix tools let fans personalize tracks while preserving artist control over how songs are reshared.
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