Actor, director and technology evangelist Ashton Kutcher enthusiastically portrays the future of ai dominance in the industry in a conversation with former Google Chairman Eric Schmidt.

In a wide-ranging conversation, Kutcher talked about his experience using the beta version of OpenAI's AI video generator Sora. "I've been playing with Sora...And it's pretty amazing," he said. "Today we have footage that can be easily used in major movies.

Kutcher explains that the technology is moving by leaps and bounds and today the results are good, but "Fast forward to thirty times more performance and you will render the whole movie

He suggests that one day everyone will be able to make the whole movie from a simple text prompt." 

As you can imagine, Hollywood is not amused. Various industry stalwarts, including top gun producer Jerry Blackheimer, accused him of basically predicting the death of the filmmaking business. 

Kutcher is not the only one adopting generative AI. At Google's recent I/O developer event, Donald Glover is seen working with the Google DeepMind Veo model, with five major filmmakers using Sora to make short films for the Tribeca Film Festival.

The actor's conversation with Schmidt took place at the Bergroon Institute in Los Angeles. They discussed the different ways AI can influence the world, and showed a series of thoughtful and perceptual responses to the reality of AI on the ground, in conversation, especially in filmmaking.

Kutcher is not just an idle of some random screens, he is an active and involved technology investor, with his own venture capital funds and a string of investments from the past. So when he says something, it comes from a place of more knowledge than the average Joe (or screenwriter).

His uncompromising statement is based on the reality that the real shakers and movers of technology and media know to be true. Just as Talkie destroyed the Silent era, AI is very likely to subvert everything that has to do with the art of filmmaking.

As Kutcher puts it, "Instead of watching a movie that someone else came up with, I can just produce a movie and watch my own movie.""

It's here because history shows that the industry that says it's not has never stopped "being" it before.

The automotive industry is struggling with electrification, the music industry has its own AI tsunami, and now it's time for movies to face the future.

As O'Brien said in 1984, "There is learning, there is understanding, there is acceptance."It may be a good time for Hollywood to slide gracefully into the second stage.