Disney CEO Bob Iger on protecting copyrighted content from AI companies: I hope we…

Disney CEO Bob Iger hopes the entertainment industry, or his company, can reach agreements with artificial intelligence (AI) companies to protect intellectual properties. However, he acknowledges that the technology has potential benefits for the streaming giant.

Speaking on Disney's fourth-quarter earnings call, Iger discussed the company's dual approach to AI: embracing its capabilities to enhance Disney+ and improve production efficiency, while remaining vigilant about protecting valuable franchises like Star Wars and The Simpsons from unauthorised use. He said: “I'm hopeful that ultimately we'll be able to reach some agreement, either the industry or the company on its own, with some of these entities that would in fact reflect our need to protect the IP.”The comments come as Disney pursues legal action against AI company Midjourney, which the studio accused in June of creating unauthorised copies of its content. The lawsuit, filed jointly with NBCUniversal, remains ongoing, with Midjourney denying the claims. According to a report by Business Insider, Iger did not name the specific AI companies Disney is engaging with, though Fable Studios, a startup with an AI streaming platform that allows users to interact with existing IP, has previously stated it is in talks with the media giant.

How Disney is planning new customer experiences with AI

At the company’s earnings call, Iger also noted that he is interested in using AI to make the Disney+ app more engaging, including tools that let users create short-form content. AI is going to “provide users of Disney+ with a much more engaged experience, including the ability for them to create user-generated content, and to consume user-generated content, mostly short form, from others,” Iger said during the Q&A portion of the call.He added that Disney+ would increasingly help promote the company’s theme parks and games, following the company's investment in Epic Games last year. The comments show how Disney, just like other studios, is exploring new ways for audiences to interact with its platforms and brands as user-generated content and independent creators gain wider traction.