Uncanny Valley | WIRED Everyone Is Using AI in Hollywood
58 snips
Aug 4, 2026 
Matthew Belloni, co-founder of Puck and host of The Town podcast, is an entertainment insider who tracks Hollywood business and studio politics. He explores how tech investment is reshaping studios, the rise of AI across writers' rooms and production, and the legal and labor battles around likeness, training data, and union protections.
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Use AI Only With Credited Writers
- Use AI tools but preserve credited human authorship to avoid union issues.
- Belloni says the Writers Guild allows AI assistance only if a credited writer remains and jobs aren't displaced.
Animation Is The First Generative AI Frontier
- Generative AI is more effective so far in animation than live-action, especially for storyboards and extrapolating visuals.
- Belloni notes Netflix reported 300 shows using generative AI, with animation as the first disruption point.
Ben Affleck Sale Bought Netflix Leeway
- Netflix paid $587 million for Ben Affleck's tiny AI company, which bought cultural leeway.
- Belloni recounts the purchase (16 employees) gave Netflix cover to adopt AI tools tied to a trusted filmmaker.
