Meta Unveils AI Model ‘Movie Gen’ for Video and Sound Creation

Meta (formerly Facebook) has introduced a new AI model called Movie Gen, capable of generating realistic videos and audio clips from user prompts. This move positions Meta as a competitor to leading AI companies like OpenAI and ElevenLabs in the media generation space.

Innovative Video and Audio Generation

Movie Gen can produce videos of up to 16 seconds and audio clips of up to 45 seconds. It also supports advanced video editing, adding objects and effects in existing videos. Meta demonstrated the tool by showing animals swimming, people painting, and inserting pom-poms into a video of a man running. It can also create synchronized sound effects and background music.

Competitive Edge in AI Video Tools

Meta shared results showing that Movie Gen performs well in blind tests against offerings from startups like OpenAI, ElevenLabs, Runway, and Kling. These capabilities, especially video generation from text prompts, are creating buzz in the entertainment industry, which is looking to leverage AI to speed up filmmaking processes.

Ethical Concerns Surrounding AI in Media

Despite the technology’s potential, there are ongoing debates in Hollywood about the ethical implications of using AI for content creation, including concerns over AI models trained on copyrighted material without consent. Lawmakers and industry insiders are also worried about AI’s role in generating deepfakes, which have influenced elections worldwide.

Limited Access and Future Integration

Unlike its Llama language models, Meta does not plan to make Movie Gen widely available to developers. Instead, the company is collaborating with entertainment industry professionals and aims to integrate Movie Gen into its own products next year. Meta has used a mix of licensed and public datasets to train the model.

Hollywood’s Growing Interest in AI

Other companies, including OpenAI and Lions Gate Entertainment, are exploring similar AI tools. Lions Gate, for example, is working with Runway to use its film library to train AI models, which filmmakers can use to enhance their work. However, concerns about AI imitating voices and likenesses without permission, such as the case with Scarlett Johansson, continue to fuel skepticism about the technology.