the brAIn - real AI intelligence for media & entertainment

A few weeks ago, I joined a panel of experts at the Television Academy for a packed house Academy-only “AI Summit” weekend session. We discussed the latest business, legal, and regulatory AI issues and developments that impact Hollywood and the overall media and entertainment community. I tackled many of the business issues — including the latest licensing news and business models.For the first time, non-Academy members can listen to this closed door session here on my "the brAIn" podcast.So, sit back. Grab your popcorn. And enjoy. Think you’ll get a lot out of it.Audio courtesy of the Television Academy. Special thanks to the Academy and to our great moderator at the event, Holly Leff-Pressman.Sign up for the companion "the brAIn" newsletter via this link.Check out Peter and his firm Creative MediaCheck out Peter's LinkedIn bio here.And send feedback to bizdev@creativemedia.biz. 

A deep dive into why OpenAI shelved a billion-dollar consumer video plan when compute costs made mass generative video uneconomic. Looks at a pivot from flashy consumer toys to enterprise-grade agentic AI and IPO-driven revenue priorities. Explores how video models are moving into invisible professional workflows to solve VFX and production bottlenecks while human artistry stays central.

In this episode, I feature a fascinating "deep dive" of my newsletter titled "Market Substitution: Generative AI's 'Fair Use' Fail" that I generated using Google NotebookLM (all prompts were mine, and I approve the episode's content). Here’s the headline: the Creative Community now has AI on its copyright litigation heels. That means that the “3 C’s” of so-called “ethical AI” — Consent, Credit and Compensation — are now taking hold via accelerating licensing deals and emerging “usage based” business models.Here are the Key Take-Aways:3 “fair use” decisions so far (Bartz v. Anthropic, Kadrey v. Meta, Thomson Reuters v. Ross Intelligence). Anthropic settled for $1.5 Billion due to court pressure. Other two cases pending (Thomson Reuters’ decision is on appeal).Both Judges in Kadrey & Thomson Reuters focused on “market substitution” as the key rationale to beat back AI’s “fair use” defense, following the Supreme Court’s most recent copyright case (Andy Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith). Meta prevailed on “fair use,” but the Judge made it clear that Meta would have lost if plaintiffs’ lawyers made the right “market substitution” arguments.Courts’ increased skepticism of AI’s “fair use” defense is fueling accelerating AI settlements and content licensing activity, which is good for both AI and media.New “usage based” AI content licensing models are being defined right now, following the same pattern as we’ve seen in past massive technology shifts impacting the entertainment industry. Napster’s music theft led to new streaming royalties. YouTube’s content IP theft led to its ContentID system.Sign up for the companion "the brAIn" newsletter via this link.Check out Peter and his firm Creative MediaCheck out Peter's LinkedIn bio here.And send feedback to bizdev@creativemedia.biz. 

A provocative thought experiment on AI accelerationism and a future where AGI and robotics erase traditional labor. Exploration of identity loss when work vanishes and the psychological need for new purpose. A controversial vision of universal basic income paired with mandatory service to enforce empathy and maintain equality. Tension between enforced kindness, personal freedom, and the risks of dissent.

What happens when the chief spokesperson and lobbyist for the Human Artistry Campaign (the coalition of 180+ creative and Artist organizations worldwide) sits down to discuss the state of AI regulation and legislation in D.C.? You get a fascinating conversation with Dr. Moiya McTier. Moiya has spent time on Capitol Hill with members of Congress in support of the creative community’s interests. Here are some highlights of our discussion:Legislative Progress: Federal legislation isn’t dead. But it’s certainly not moving fast, although bi-partisan support isgrowing for the NO FAKES Act (digital replicas) and the TRAIN Act (data transparency).“Stealing Isn’t Innovation”: Moiya discusses the Human Artistry Campaign’s recently launched “Stealing Isn’t Innovation” campaign, which educates the public on how AI models are trained using unlicensed data without permission. Ethical AI Standards: True ethical AI requires a framework of consent, credit, and compensation. Identity Protection: AI is uniquely dangerous because it can mimic an artist’s voice, likeness, and style, threatening their professional identity. Intrinsic Value of Art: Over-reliance on AI risks “creative atrophy” by removing the essential human struggle of expression. 35 minutes. Zero fluff. Total insight. Sign up for the companion "the brAIn" newsletter via this link.Check out Peter and his firm Creative MediaCheck out Peter's LinkedIn bio here.And send feedback to bizdev@creativemedia.biz. 

Josh Freeman, VP of Business Development at ProRata.ai, is a media-tech veteran who builds attribution and revenue tools for generative AI. He discusses proportional attribution for AI outputs. He explains how ProRata reports contributions and enables ongoing payments. He also covers Gist Answers, a licensed-content AI search with 50/50 revenue sharing and plans to expand across modalities.

Blair Golden, founder and CEO of Pair and former divorcee turned relationship builder, created an AI dating coach to spot red flags and provide real-time support. She discusses building a human-like coach, emotional sensing via camera, safety tools and SOS features. Hear practical uses from message drafting to date prep and the app’s subscription strategy.

PJ Accetturo (PJ Ace), founder and CEO of Genre AI and viral admaker, discusses AI reshaping big-brand and studio advertising. He recounts Genre AI’s breakout Kalshi spot and why they declined a Super Bowl run. Short takes cover AI-driven speed and cost savings, when human directors still matter, and why AI shines for bold, stylized ads rather than subtle realism.

Jon Zepp, a Google exec who bridges filmmakers and AI, explores collaborations with auteurs like Darren Aronofsky and Doug Liman. He discusses how AI accelerates video capabilities and unlocks a new fourth dimension of storytelling through conversational, interactive experiences. He also outlines Google's 100 ZEROS initiative and where interactivity could appear across devices.

Andy Beach, former Microsoft CTO for Media & Entertainment and AI strategist, now an advisor and writer. He dives into Disney’s $1B tie-up with OpenAI and how its structure affects IP and governance. He breaks down Apple’s choice to use Google for Apple Intelligence and Microsoft’s Publisher Content Marketplace. They also tackle persona trademarking and what creative control means as generative AI scales.