Disney almost used AI twice

👋 Good morning/evening (wherever you are). It’s Friday.

The WSJ posted this article earlier this week (it’s paywalled), so here’s the quick bullets. Some of this is known, but it captures Disney’s full AI situation right now:

• Moana deepfake plan: Disney worked with AI firm Metaphysic for 18 months on a “digital double” of Dwayne Johnson, using stunt double Tanoai Reed’s body with Johnson’s AI-generated face. Johnson approved, but the deal collapsed over copyright ownership, data security, and legal concerns. None of the AI footage will appear in the film.

• Tron: Ares AI character: Executives considered a fully AI-generated sidekick named “Bit” with real-time dialogue created by an AI program and voiced by an actor. The idea was dropped during union contract negotiations to avoid negative publicity.

• Other AI explorations:

  • Tested AI tools for Disney+ that let fans create their own clips of Disney shows

  • Invested $1.5B in Epic Games and tested an AI Darth Vader in Fortnite that players quickly manipulated into cursing in James Earl Jones’s voice

  • Discussed AI-driven interactions for Disney characters in Epic’s upcoming metaverse project known internally as “Bulldog”

• IP protection: Sued Midjourney in June, calling it a “bottomless pit of plagiarism” and accusing it of copying Disney and Universal characters. CEO Bob Iger and legal chief Horacio Gutierrez say they will not license Disney characters to AI firms in exchange for payment.

• Internal AI controls: All generative AI use for company business must be approved by a corporate AI committee, with approvals now averaging 48 hours.

• Union and PR sensitivity: Avoiding major AI initiatives that could spark backlash ahead of Screen Actors Guild contract talks in 2026.

• Historical caution: In 1989 Disney kept Pixar’s role in The Little Mermaid quiet to avoid backlash, and executives fear revealing AI use today could “take away the magic.”

OK let’s keep going ↓

🔥 Creative pulse

Quick note: I previously posted an awesome short film, but took it down after syncing with the filmmaker because of the recent Runway/IMAX agreement. I’ll post it again when the time is right (2-3 weeks), thanks for understanding!

In case you missed it, all 4 LinkedIn posts this week:

1. Google finally weighed in on the JSON debate

   And they shared a prompt!

2. DeepMind showcases Genie 3 demos

   People are still processing this…yes, it’s that mind-blowing.

3. Midjourney’s new HD video mode

   Watch 4 official video clips from the Midjourney team.

4. Is this the best AI fashion commercial of the year?

   This feels like it could be a real Bottega Veneta campaign. It’s that good.

Quick thank you to everyone who likes, comments, and reposts my posts, and to those with ‘all notifications’ on for my LinkedIn to catch them right away.

👋 If you’re passionate (and obsessed) about AI creative…guess what?! I just launched an AI creative club. It’s only $5/month. Skip the Big Mac and put it toward this instead. I’m serious, you’ll thank me later. Click here to join AND invest in your future.

We just ran a poll in the club and, unsurprisingly, everyone wants to go deep on Runway, Veo 3, and Midjourney. Starting now I’ll be mixing iced americanos and Red Bulls in new combos to stay up late making endless how-to and tutorial videos.

If you get a thrill from watching me slowly become a caffeinated AI tutorial zombie, come join the party!

💡 Here’s what you should know

• Google and NASA test AI for space medicine

  The Crew Medical Officer Digital Assistant aims to help astronauts diagnose and treat health issues autonomously during deep space missions and could also improve remote healthcare on Earth.

• Google tests AI-powered upgrade to Google Finance

  A new experimental version adds AI-driven research answers, advanced charting tools, real-time market data, and live news, rolling out in the U.S. over the coming weeks.

• Illinois bans AI from providing therapy services

  Governor JB Pritzker signed a law prohibiting AI from delivering mental health therapy while allowing its use for administrative and support tasks under licensed professionals.

• SoftBank to buy Foxconn’s Ohio plant for Stargate AI plan

  The site could be converted into a data center as part of a $500 billion U.S. AI infrastructure project with OpenAI and Oracle.

• Saks adopts AI customer service with NLX and AWS

  Saks Fifth Avenue is using NLX’s AI and AWS tools to offer voice, chat, and visual customer service that boosts efficiency and satisfaction.

• South Korea launches bid for AI self-sufficiency

  The government has tapped major firms like SK Telecom, LG, Naver, and Samsung to build an open-source AI system using mostly domestic technology, aiming for AI self-sufficiency and global competitiveness.

💰 The numbers

• Meta lands $29B from private credit giants PIMCO and Blue Owl to build massive AI data centers powering its next-gen models

• Elion raised $9.3M in seed funding from NEA to build an AI-powered research and intelligence platform for healthcare technology

• Journey raised $7.7M in seed funding from Lerer Hippeau and Slow Ventures to expand its AI-driven loyalty platform for independent hotels

• Translucent AI raised $7M in seed funding from NEA, Virtue, FPV, and Redesign Health to scale its AI-powered financial platform for healthcare operators

• PhnyX Lab raised $4M in seed funding from SK Networks, Aidan Gomez, and Illia Polosukhin to cut clinical trial and medical writing timelines from months to days

• WiseBee raised $2.5M in pre-seed funding to develop autonomous AI cybersecurity for regulated mid-sized enterprises

🧠 Thought starters

4 things to consider this weekend, with my quick take under each image.

😂 Meme of the day

Thanks for reading,

Eddie

Join the AI Creative Club (you’ll find me there). It’s not only for artists and filmmakers…it’s for anyone who recognizes this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn as much as you can about AI to multiply your impact...to become superhuman. Remember, creativity is just intelligence having fun. This club is for ultra curious people, and if you’ve made it this far…you’re pretty damn curious and probably the smartest one in your circle of friends. It would be my honor to have you in there.

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