Google $GOOGL (GOOGL) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) announced Tuesday they are partnering to introduce artificial intelligence-generated closed captioning.
Caption AI, as it’s known internally, will only be available in the U.S. for unscripted programming, such as news, sports, or reality TV. It will use Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform — an AI development platform for building and using generative AI, which offers access to Google’s Gemini chatbot.
“Captioning has traditionally been a labor-intensive and time-consuming process,” the companies said in a statement. “To maintain high levels of accuracy, Warner Bros Discovery $WBD’s captioning solution incorporates a workflow that utilizes Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform to optimize captioning, coupled with human-oversight for quality assurance.”
Channels and platforms under Warner Bros. Discovery include CNN, Max, the Discovery Channel, and Discovery+.
The companies said the new tech will reduce file creation time up to 80% compared with manual captioning, and will cut captioning costs by up to 50%.
“AI has the potential to transform a variety of processes across the media and entertainment industry that deliver real business impact,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud. “With its captioning solution, Warner Bros. Discovery is seeing an incredible example of how AI agents can save organizations time and money.”
Given just how new AI is, human transcribers will still need to check the AI-generated captions for accuracy. But given that vendors can charge around $15 per minute, or more, for transcribing services, the new tech would reduce platforms’ reliance on transcribers.
“Providing viewers with high-quality captions is incredibly important to Warner Bros. Discovery,” said Avi Saxena, chief technology officer of Warner Bros. Discovery’s direct-to-consumer business. “Working with Google Cloud to utilize Vertex AI within Warner Bros. Discovery’s caption AI workflow has not only helped to accelerate our captioning process, but also has improved our efficiency and speed, while reducing costs.”
Generative AI became a flashpoint during last year’s writers and actors strikes — one of the biggest labor actions in Hollywood’s history. Both those who work behind and in front of the camera argued AI has the potential to undermine their roles — and cut jobs — if not properly regulated.
In that battle against the rise of AI, writers and actors won significant protections. Under the newly negotiated contracts, studios can’t use AI to write or edit already written scripts, or use AI-generated content as source material. They also can’t use AI-generated versions of an actor’s likeness without their explicit consent.