KQED's Forum

In a World Run by Algorithms, Hollywood Fights for Its Soul

June 16, 2026·52 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

It’s no longer news that Hollywood studios are using artificial intelligence in editing, animation, visual effects and more. But last week “Dreams of Violets,” a new film about protests in Iran, became the first fully AI-generated live-action feature to screen at Tribeca and is a project that journalist Steven Zeitchik says the industry is watching nervously. We talk about the rapidly growing use of A.I. in filmmaking and the impacts that’s having on audiences, industry professionals and an artform built on human storytelling. Guests: Steven Zeitchik, senior editor for technology and politics, Hollywood Reporter; author, "Mind and Iron," a humanist newsletter about our AI future Peter Murrieta, executive producer, showrunner and writer; secretary-treasurer, Writers Guild of America West Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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