Disney is adding another layer to its artificial intelligence and extended reality strategies. As first reported technology/artificial-intelligence/walt-disney-forms-business-unit-coordinate-use-ai-augmented-reality-2024-11-01/” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:Reuters;cpos:1;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “>ReutersThe company recently formed a unit dedicated to emerging technologies. Dubbed the technology Enablement Office, the group will coordinate the company's exploration, adoption and use of artificial intelligence, AR and VR technology.
has touched Jamie Vorispreviously CTO of its Studios technology division, to oversee the effort. Before joining Disney in 2010, Voris was chief technology officer for the National Football League. Most recently, he led development of the company's Apple Vision Pro app. Voris will report to Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment. Reuters reports that the company eventually plans to grow the group to around 100 employees.
“The pace and scope of advancements in ai and XR are profound and will continue to impact consumer experiences, creative efforts and our business for years to come, making it critical for Disney to explore the exciting opportunities and navigate potential risks,” Bergman wrote. in an email Disney shared with Engadget. “The creation of this new group underscores our dedication to doing so and being a positive force in shaping responsible use and best practices.”
A Disney spokesperson told Engadget that the technology Enablement Office will not take over any existing ai and XR projects at the company. Instead, it will support Disney's other teams, many of whom are already working on products involving those technologies, to ensure their work fits into the company's broader strategic goals.
“This is about bringing greater focus, alignment and speed to those efforts, and reinforcing our commitment to being a positive force in shaping responsible use and best practices,” the spokesperson said.
It's safe to say that Disney has probably navigated the last two decades of technological change better than most of Hollywood. For example, the company's use of Unreal Engine along with a digital set known as The Volume has simplified the production of VFX-heavy shows like The Mandalorian. Since extended reality and ai in particular promise radical changes to the way humans work and play, it makes sense to add some additional oversight to how those technologies are used in the enterprise.
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