Generative artificial intelligence is set to transform the future of TV shows with custom prompts. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fable Studio is launching an AI streaming service that will let users generate their own TV shows by simply giving prompts to an AI program. Edward Saatchi, the chief executive of Fable, said, “The vision is to be the Netflix of A.I.”
Saatchi said, “The vision is to be the Netflix of AI.” Saatchi added, “Maybe you finish all of the episodes of a show you’re watching and you click the button to make another episode. You can say what it should be about or you can let the AI make it itself.”
The company, an Emmy-winning San Francisco startup, has confirmed in an announcement that the new AI-generated series can write, voice, and animate episodes of the shows it carries. Users will be able to watch the content they create, with options to control dialogue, characters, shot types, and other elements.
According to reports, users can now join the waitlist for a free testing version of the platform, expected to run until the end of the year, as per Saatchi. The announcement includes the unveiling of 10 animated shows spanning various genres and styles, mostly created with AI tools, except for the music and some transitions. These shows include Exit Valley, a satire of Silicon Valley that mimics the animation style and comedic flavor of South Park; Ikiru Shinu, a dark horror anime about survivors of a global calamity trying to rebuild society; and Sim Francisco, an anthology series set in the shared universe of “Sim Francisco,” where several of the shows take place. Currently, the technology is limited to animation and cannot create live-action shots.
Users are encouraged to make their own episodes of the shows, the best of which will be included in the catalogue of the series when Showrunner is officially launched. The winners will get a lump-sum payment, as well as revenue sharing if the show is picked up by a streamer. Saatchi says the platform’s tech allows users to create a series of scenes that can then be stitched together to create a full-length episode. Prompts can range from just a “couple of words to over 100.” Users will be able to edit the dialogue, shots and flow of scenes, among other things.
Saatchi also claims, “AI can definitely make better episodes of The Simpsons today.”
Showrunner is powered by Fable’s AI model, which was developed following the release of open-source AI systems from OpenAI and Stable Diffusion. In 2023, the company released a research paper presenting technology that it claims can handle all aspects of show production, including writing, producing, directing, editing, voicing, and animating episodes from a vast catalogue of content. As a demonstration, the company created nine short AI-generated episodes of South Park based on a brief prompt.
