Framing the Future: How AI’s Media Representation is Redefining the Entertainment Industry

Change, particularly through technological advancement, frequently challenges established norms and prompts a reevaluation of preexisting frameworks, especially in dynamic sectors like entertainment. As such, in an era characterized by the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), the representation of AI in media emerges as a pivotal narrative force. This paper examines the societal impact that the framing of AI in media has had within the entertainment sector, revealing its dual role in reflecting and distorting public sentiment, and fluctuating between two dominant narratives: the social progress frame and the Pandora’s box frame (Brewer et al.). The social progress frame depicts AI as a beneficial advancement that enhances human capabilities and societal welfare, suggesting that AI augments human creativity. Contrastingly, the Pandora’s box frame casts AI in a cautionary light, suggesting that these technologies could lead to potentially harmful consequences, such as alerting us to the fact that AI advancements in entertainment are moving beyond photorealistic images to potentially generating entire films. This raises ethical concerns about transparency in AI use in creative works. These narratives influence legal frameworks and policies, emphasizing the need for updated intellectual property protections. Specific legal measures, such as the ELVIS Act in Tennessee, showcase efforts to safeguard against AI misuse in reproducing artists' likenesses. Perceptions of AI in media ultimately shape the future of entertainment by extending human creativity and redefining work dynamics, necessitating a balance between leveraging technology and preserving human creativity.