Google‘s Sanjay Gupta made a compelling case for Asia-Pacific’s dominance in the way forward for international storytelling, positioning synthetic intelligence because the “magic wand” that can remodel the area’s already-thriving media panorama.

Talking on the APOS convention in Indonesia, the president of Google APAC opened his keynote with a putting instance of AI‘s inventive potential: the collaboration between Google, Warner Bros. Discovery and different companions to convey “The Wizard of Oz” to the Sphere in Las Vegas. The 1939 Technicolor traditional, initially shot in 4:3 facet ratio with 35mm cameras, required “unimaginable collaboration, underpinned by expertise” involving “hundreds of researchers, producers, programmers from the movie and expertise world” to upscale the video for the venue’s large 16K display screen.

“To me, the actual magic was the power to create digital imagery, to increase pictures past what was initially in body,” Gupta mentioned. “What was unthinkable just some years in the past is now a surprising actuality.”

Gupta painted an image of unprecedented alternative for Asian storytellers, citing dramatic shifts in content material consumption and creation. Whereas “The Wizard of Oz” took 17 years to go from theaters to tv and one other 24 years to succeed in properties on VHS, at the moment’s digital instruments have created “instantaneous” international connections.

The numbers are staggering: Over 20 million movies are uploaded every day to YouTube globally, with creators like Indonesia’s Justin Tobias amassing greater than 15 million subscribers and 6.7 billion views — “a scale that was unthinkable on this area most likely a decade again,” in line with Gupta.

Asia’s consumption patterns have advanced equally dramatically. The common individual in Asia now watches over seven hours of tales every day throughout 5 billion screens — up from 2 billion screens only a decade in the past. “We’re searching for tales designed for on the go consumption,” Gupta famous, highlighting every part from drama shorts to video games.

The Google govt emphasised AI’s position as an augmentation instrument fairly than a alternative for human creativity. He showcased director Darren Aronofsky’s use of AI instruments to seize difficult pictures like “a day outdated child’s hand, holding a mom’s finger, or displaying contained in the human physique and filming the formation of cells.”

One other instance featured Toonsutra utilizing AI to succeed in new audiences by enabling real-time translation of movies into “1000 totally different languages with the suitable lip sync for each character,” successfully eradicating conventional limitations to consumption.

“This room, the room of storytellers, I imagine, are the wizards, if you’ll, and AI is a magic wand,” Gupta mentioned.

Gupta recognized two key elements positioning Asia on the forefront of worldwide storytelling’s future. First, the area’s demographics: “50% of world’s inhabitants, 60% of worldwide youth” who’re “younger and open to experimentation” with rising applied sciences.

Extra importantly, he highlighted Asia’s “deep tradition of storytelling” spanning from Indonesia’s conventional varieties to Japan’s Kabuki, from the Ramayana to trendy anime, Okay-dramas and internet sequence. “Creativity from this area is grabbing consideration the world over at the moment,” he mentioned, noting that extra folks watch Okay-dramas outdoors Korea than inside the nation, whereas India produces content material consumed globally for over 45 billion hours on YouTube.

Regardless of the inventive momentum, Gupta sees large untapped potential. Asia presently contributes solely 15% to international media revenues, suggesting “large headroom for us to develop and seize.” The regional media and leisure enterprise, whereas valued at $60 billion and rising, may increase considerably with AI integration.

“This can be a motion for Asia’s media trade,” Gupta declared. “AI, mixed with the ingenuity, dynamism and wealthy storytelling of this area and the big inhabitants will turbocharge creativity.”

Throughout a subsequent hearth chat with moderator Vivek Couto, govt director and co-founder, Media Companions Asia, which organizes APOS, Gupta acknowledged two main trade considerations about AI adoption: expertise administration and defending creativity.

“I believe we’d like to consider AI as a terrific instrument, which is augmenting our enterprise. It’s an add-on, it’s a plus,” he defined. Drawing parallels to previous technological disruptions, he referenced how the music trade initially feared digital transformation however in the end thrived. “The facility of how we are able to work collectively throughout stakeholders, to make sure that we’re in a position to shield that creativity and assist truly make it flourish is the chance,” he mentioned.

Gupta concluded his remarks with a problem to the assembled media professionals: “If something is feasible, what would you create, and the way would you remodel what you are promoting with the magic wand of AI?”