Tyler Perry Pauses Studio Expansion after being amazed by Sora

Tyler Perry has halted an $800 million expansion of his Atlanta studio complex following the debut of OpenAI’s video generator Sora, citing concerns over potential job losses in the film industry due to artificial intelligence.

The renowned US film and TV mogul revealed that plans to add 12 sound stages to his studio have been indefinitely postponed after witnessing the “shocking” capabilities of Sora.

Perry expressed astonishment at Sora’s ability to create realistic footage from simple text prompts, stating, “I had no idea until I saw recently the demonstrations of what it’s able to do. It’s shocking to me.”

Sora, which was launched on February 15th with limited access, has garnered widespread attention for its capacity to generate lifelike scenes based on textual descriptions.

Perry, known for his successful Madea film series, remarked that Sora’s advancements could potentially eliminate the need for location shoots or set construction, allowing filmmakers to produce content entirely digitally.

The mogul voiced concerns over the repercussions of AI advancements on various roles within the film industry, including actors, editors, sound specialists, and transportation crew.

Highlighting the immediate impact on construction workers and contractors involved in his studio expansion plans, Perry emphasized the profound changes AI could bring to job dynamics.

While recent Hollywood strikes addressed concerns about AI’s impact on jobs, Perry stressed the necessity for a collaborative industry-wide effort to navigate these changes effectively.

“It can’t be one union fighting every contract every two or three years,” Perry stated. “I think that it has to be everybody, all involved in how we protect the future of our industry because it is changing rapidly, right before our eyes.”