The Future of Entertainment Created by AI! Showrunner Generates Anime in Minutes Amidst the Boiling Content War

1. Background: The "Critical Point" of AI×Streaming

"What if you could create a sequel to a movie you watched in the theater at home that weekend?"—San Francisco startup Fable is bringing this fantasy closer to reality. The new service funded by Amazon, Showrunner, is an experimental platform for "interactive viewing" that combines generative AI and streaming. The alpha version released on July 31 is free, allowing invited users to input prompts and generate short animations in minutes.

2. Mechanism and Features

• Prompt Generation
  By entering a few lines of text and optionally uploading an image, the proprietary model "SHOW-2" generates scripts, visuals, and audio seamlessly.

• Initial Title 'Exit Valley'
  A Silicon Valley satire comedy in the style of 'Family Guy', featuring Sam Altman and Elon Musk. Users can freely add characters and scenes.

• Revenue Model
  After the alpha period, a credit system is planned, costing $10 to $40 per month. When remixing existing works, up to 40% is allocated to the original poster.Business Insider

3. CEO Sarchie’s Vision

Fable co-founder Edward Sarchie states, "It's sad to reduce AI to a tool for cutting VFX costs. Our goal is **'playable stories'**." However, he also admits, "Maybe no one wants it."Kotaku

4. Distance from Hollywood

Showrunner is negotiating IP licenses with Disney and Lucasfilm. Sarchie suggests, "If fans can create their own episodes in the Star Wars universe, it could become a new revenue stream." However, many studios are already wary of AI's misuse of IP, presenting a significant hurdle to realization.Business Insider

5. Temperature Difference on Social Media

On the other hand, testers on Discord have reported positive reactions, saying, "It's purely fun to see my avatar instantly animated," although they remain a minority (comments from an invite-only community, not for public citation).

6. Issues Surrounding Creators and Employment

• Copyright and Image Rights
  The risk of "cloning" actors' voices and appearances without permission was just raised by SAG-AFTRA during the 2023 strike.

• Industry Structure
  Sarchie argues that "employment will actually increase with studios setting up 'sandboxes'," but concerns remain strong about screenwriters and animators losing jobs.

• Quality and Canon
  Whether fan-generated episodes will be incorporated into the official series' "canon" depends on the discretion of IP holders.

7. Business Viability

According to Business Insider's estimates, even if hundreds of scenes can be generated for $20 a month, server costs and royalties are likely to squeeze profits. Additionally, motivating users to continue creating and watching remains a challenge.Business Insider

8. Future Scenarios

1. Success Model

   • Major studios provide IP → Long-tail revenue through fans

   • Connects with the MetaVerse UGC market, interactive TV becomes a new genre

2. Stagnation Model

   • Criticism over quality and ethical issues leads to user attrition

   • Legal regulations and litigation costs lead to financial shortfall

3. Compromise Model

   • Survives as a tool for niche communities, commercial works remain limited

9. Conclusion

The emergence of Showrunner has created a "storm center" at the intersection of generative AI and visual media. While the technological potential is high, whether it can overcome the triple barriers of the creator ecosystem, legal frameworks, and psychological resistance from viewers remains unknown. Amidst the outcry and curiosity erupting on social media, can storytelling truly evolve from "watching" to "playing"? The official launch of the platform and Hollywood's response hold the key to that answer.

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