Amazon’s Albert Cheng Says AI Is Way Past The “Uncanny Valley,” Can Cure LA’s Production Ills

Senior Amazon exec Albert Cheng says AI technology has moved well beyond the “uncanny valley,” and can play a key role in reviving production in embattled Los Angeles.

“This is an AI model that we can use to bring production back,” said Cheng, who is VP and head of AI studios for Amazon MGM Studios. “A huge benefit of AI, when you think about it, is how do we get TV back into the sound stages that we have in LA, and we can make more of them?”

Tax incentive programs, Cheng added, have been sweetened of late but still tend to be “structured around very large productions, because the idea is a large branch of employment.” Large projects, however, take time to make. “So, there’s not a whole lot of turnover in roles,” the exec continued. “You need to think about a more normal model. How do we start giving tax incentives for AI-assisted films? And for smaller crews, because I’d rather make 10 shows” than one, from an job creation standpoint.

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