Podcast ¦ Next In Queue: Suntory Time! featuring Kento Morita

Key Take Aways

1. The rise of AI-generated content raises significant concerns for actors and creators about likeness rights, voice cloning, and intellectual property protections, particularly in union versus non-union contexts.
2. AI technology allows for the replication and manipulation of voices and likenesses, creating risks of unauthorised use and potential exploitation without additional compensation.
3. Union organisations like SAG are negotiating protections for actors against AI infringements, but the landscape remains highly unregulated outside union agreements.
4. The proliferation of AI-generated visual and audio content diminishes the perceived uniqueness of human-created media, challenging traditional notions of authenticity.
5. Confidence in biometric identifiers such as voice prints is eroding due to advancements in cloning, prompting reconsideration of security measures.
6. As AI models improve, they replicate existing taste trends, but creative arts require ongoing innovation, underscoring the importance of continuous adaptation.
7. The feedback loop of content generation by major platforms incentivises creators to produce material aligned with platform algorithms, potentially stifling genuine or avant-garde expression.
8. Experiencing live, analogue events—such as theatre and sports—offers irreplaceable value in cultivating authentic engagement and emotional resonance.
9. Live performance environments foster unique, spontaneous moments of audience-performer interaction that AI-generated content cannot replicate.
10. The entertainment industry sees sports as a form of theatre, with communal and emotionally impactful experiences, but increasing costs threaten accessibility.
11. The spectacle of narrowly avoided disaster (e.g., in theatre or space missions) resonates deeply with audiences, exemplifying human resilience and mastery.
12. Routine activities like trick-or-treating can foster community bonding, especially when traditional elements—such as jokes—are incorporated, highlighting the importance of authentic, community-centric experiences.

Key Statistics

• An actor receives a tight schedule, with recordings spanning two days, three attempts per line, and a typical day rate increasing by 50% if extended.
• Union protections are actively discussing AI safeguards, yet outside unionised projects, the environment is largely unregulated.
• The cost of sports consumption is escalating, with an average individual potentially paying around two thousand pounds annually due to pay-per-view and cable packages.
• A year-long project involved creating 166 jokes based on current events, with the best ones relating to Japanese audiences.

Key Discussion Points

• The implications of AI for actors’ likeness rights and the potential for misuse without proper safeguards.
• The erosion of biometric security features due to voice cloning technology.
• The importance of live, analogue experiences as a means of combating cultural homogenisation driven by AI and digital media.
• The value of spontaneous moments and audience participation in theatre, which AI cannot authentically replicate.
• The influence of major platforms incentivising creators to conform to algorithmic preferences rather than authentic expression.
• The ongoing tension between technological innovation and traditional theatrical craftsmanship.
• The significance of sports as a communal, performative experience, and the threats posed by increasing costs and betting-related integrity issues.
• The need for creators across industries to stay attuned to changing tastes and to produce genuinely novel content.
• The cyclical nature of AI capabilities improving as new taste and aesthetic trends emerge.
• The importance of community-based traditions, such as Halloween jokes, in fostering social cohesion.
• Challenges in maintaining community engagement amidst the rising commercialisation and expense of entertainment options.
• The potential for authentic human moments—like narrowly averted disaster in space missions or theatre—to deepen audience connection.

Podcast Description

This podcast explores the evolving landscape of entertainment, AI, and human experience through candid conversations with industry creatives and thought leaders. It addresses the implications of AI on authenticity, intellectual property, and security, emphasising the enduring value of live, analogue experiences. The discussion combines cultural insights with industry considerations, offering senior managers in financial services relevant perspectives on innovation, reputation, and consumer engagement in a digital age.