the brAIn - real AI intelligence for media & entertainment
Peter Csathy, media, entertainment, AI & tech expert (chairman of Creative Media)
All about how generative AI is transforming the world of media and entertainment - hosted by leading expert Peter Csathy of Creative Media (creativemedia.biz). "the brAIn" features Csathy's "insider" insights about the latest developments in generative AI and its impacts on media, entertainment, and the entire creative community. It also features interviews with leading artists, innovators, entrepreneurs, executives, and influencers. Each episode starts with Peter's humorous rundown of the latest key headlines in the world of AI, media and entertainment. The podcast is the companion to his newsletter "the brAIn" that reaches thousands of "movers and shakers" in the industry. You can find it at themediabrain.substack.com. Peter is a renowned dealmaker, serial entrepreneur, business advisor, Harvard trained lawyer, writer, speaker, and overall creative force. He writes a weekly column about AI and the media industry in leading entertainment publication TheWrap. He has negotiated over $4 billion in deals, served as CEO and President of several pioneering media-tech companies that achieved successful exits, and as a senior dealmaker in major studios. Peter has been a key driver and force for opening up entirely new markets, including on demand music streaming, online video platforms, and live social video streaming and chat. He is a believer that artists and creators sit at the center of the overall media, entertainment and tech universe. He also hosts the podcast series "The Story Behind the Song" on Consequence, where he interviews the most legendary artists of the past several decades about their most iconic songs. You can find that podcast at consequence.net/category/consequence-podcast-network/the-story-behind-the-song.reach out to Peter at bizdev@creativemedia.biz.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jun 24, 2025 • 18min
New York's New AI "Synthetic Performer" Disclosure Law - Exposed!
Last week, just in time for Cannes Lions 2025 — the most important advertising industry soiree of the year — New York’s legislature passed a groundbreaking new law that requires advertisers (and those who create those ads) to conspicuously disclose when an AI-generated “synthetic human” is used in ads.SAG-AFTRA called New York’s new law “a historic move marking a new era of transparency in artificial intelligence use in advertising … the first law in the country, and possibly in the world, to mandate disclaimers when consumers are being sold to by artificial intelligence-generated humans, or ‘synthetic performers.’” Now, as SAG-AFTRA pointed out in its statement, “If you are being sold to by a machine you will know it.”But there’s more to this new law as well. It represents both an acceptance of this new AI reality in which we all live — AND a nod to humanity’s primacy in the order of things.In this week's episode, based on Peter Csathy's related article in his "the brAIn" newsletter, Csathy's synthetic co-hosts discuss it all -- laying out what this new law means, what it represents, and how major advertisers and their agencies are thinking about their work and craft in this time of accelerated AI development.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.
Jun 17, 2025 • 19min
Hollywood Finally Joins The AI Copyright Fight! (Disney/NBCU Sue Midjourney)
Last week, host Peter Csathy called for Hollywood studios to finally cast aside their silence and join the AI copyright fight - to loudly voice the creative community's concerns about AI developers using their copyrighted works without consent and compensation. And two days later, Disney and NBCUniversal finally did - they sued generative image AI company Midjourney.In this episode, Csathy's synthetic co-hosts discuss Csathy's most recent article, update and analysis of it all from his "the brAIn" newsletter, titled "Hollywood Finally Enters the AI Copyright Fight!" It's a focused - yet far-ranging discussion - of all the relevant key business and legal issues surrounding Disney's and NBCU's new lawsuit against Midjourney, as well as a preview of what to expect next.Csathy generated the episode using Google NotebookLM - and he approves its content (and believes the conversation is helpful, insightful, and engaging). 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.
10 snips
Jun 11, 2025 • 35min
Hollywood's "Fair Use" AI Knockout Punch. Coming Soon?
Dive into the heated legal battle over AI and copyright as creatives and tech giants clash! Discover pivotal court cases reshaping the fair use landscape, including the Kadre v. Metta saga. The conversation tackles why major players like Disney remain silent and urges a unified cry for ethical AI practices. Explore the pressing need for licensed data, contrasting responsible companies with those risking copyright infringements. It's a call to action for a fairer future in AI that benefits both industries!
8 snips
Apr 3, 2025 • 12min
OpenAI & Studio Ghibli: Yes, "Style" Can Be Infringed
Discover the heated debate over AI's impact on artistic integrity, particularly in animation. OpenAI's new image generator is creating anime art reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki's iconic style, raising questions about copyright infringement. The clash of traditional artistry versus cutting-edge technology is explored, along with the legal and ethical dilemmas at play. Will AI-generated works displace human creators, and how should the industry respond to protect creative rights? Tune in for insights on the future of art in the age of AI.
Apr 1, 2025 • 12min
AI Search: A "Code Red" for All Websites (96% Less Referrals!)
Host Peter Csathy's "synthetic" co-hosts discuss a sobering reality that faces all websites (not just media publishers and entertainment companies). For general purpose search, consumers increasingly turn to conversational AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude — as well as to more utilitarian AI search engines like Perplexity — instead of traditional Google and Bing search. This new AI search reality poses a "Code Red" for traditional search. But it also poses a very real “Code Red” (perhaps even existential) threat for most websites in general and the advertisers that support them. That means all news, media and entertainment companies, of course. But it goes much deeper than that — to anyone and any business that is dependent on advertising and ad-driven traffic. This episode discusses it all, including the new data from TollBit that is the basis for these conclusions.Peter generated this podcast based on his most recent newsletter using Google NotebookLM (and he listened to, and approved, this episode as being consistent with his discussion, helpful, and engaging).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.
Mar 30, 2025 • 57min
Is Thomson Reuters' Copyright Win A Fatal Blow to "Fair Use"?
Host Peter Csathy recently was a guest on Ricky Sutton's "Future Media" podcast to discuss the recent rejection of "fair use" as a defense to AI training infringement by the federal judge in Thomson Reuters v. Ross Intelligence. Peter discusses all the relevant business and legal issues that arise in the context of generative AI scraping of copyrighted works without consent and compensation -- and calls for a "win win" licensing scheme to benefit all. It's a fascinating discussion with Ricky Sutton and his co-host Alan Chapell. 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.
Mar 25, 2025 • 10min
Is 100% "Ethically Sourced" Generative AI Possible?
In this episode, Peter Csathy's "synthetic" co-hosts discuss his most recent article that asks the provocative question, "Is 100% ethically sourced generative AI even possible?" Csathy's article lays out both sides of the argument - those who say it is possible (and must be done via content licensing), and those who simply believe it's too daunting and too hard (whom Csathy calls "Fair Use Accelerationists"). Csathy spoke with several leading experts to give their perspectives.It's an episode that covers all the related issues - and is entertaining at the same time. Csathy generated it using Google NotebookLM - and he approves the content.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.
Mar 17, 2025 • 12min
Does AI Dumb Down Creativity?
The podcast dives into the debate over AI's role in creativity, questioning whether machines can produce truly original art. It highlights the unique qualities of human expression, emphasizing that AI might lead to mediocrity if left unchecked. Concerns arise about overreliance on AI diminishing human skills, drawing parallels to pilots losing touch with flying fundamentals. Yet, there's optimism about AI serving as a creative ally, enhancing the artistic process without overshadowing the essential human touch.
Mar 10, 2025 • 25min
Conversation with Eric Shamlin, Creator of Iconic AI-Generated "Holidays" Coke Ad
Host Peter Csathy recently was a featured speaker at ThinkLA’s big AI-focused event (ThinkLA serves marketing and media executives). Peter invited CEO Eric Shamlin of production company Secret Level to join him. Shamlin and his team created the iconic AI-generated “Holidays Are Coming” Coke ad that became THE marketing story this past December. In this exclusive “fireside chat,” Peter and Eric discuss the story behind it all — i.e., how Shamlin and his team conceptualized and executed it — and how consumers and the creative community reacted to it. Suffice it to say that while consumers reacted overwhelmingly positively (the ad was a smash hit), not everyone in the creative community felt the same. According to AdWeek, the ad “went from praise to rage … signaling a wider industry dilemma.” It’s a fascinating discussion that was extremely well-received, enlightening, and entertaining. 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.
Mar 5, 2025 • 13min
How Courts Will Assess Damages In Generative AI Copyright Cases
In this episode, based on Peter Csathy's article of the same name, Peter's "synth" hosts discuss the central issue of remedies and damages for winning rights-holders in generative AI copyright cases -- and, relatedly, how the courts will even begin to assess monetary damages in a world where the relevant “harm” caused by an entire internet’s worth of unlicensed scraping has already been done (and can’t be undone unless existing LLMs are scrapped and AI training starts anew with licensed content only). Theoretical damage awards under copyright and related laws are downright astronomical. The discussion flows from the court's recent rejection of “fair use” in the now notorious Thomson Reuters v. Ross Intelligence case — where it ruled that the scraping of copyrighted works without consent and compensation is infringement (not a defensible “fair use”) as a matter of law.Peter generated this episode, based on his article, using Google NotebookLM (and he approves its content).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.
