LOS ANGELES — Although many unions involved with filmmaking and art have been skeptical about using AI for storytelling, local college students are embracing using the technology.

Johans Saldana Guadalupe is one of them. 

After growing up in Peru and spending time in San Antonio, Guadalupe moved to Southern California. He’s now in his fourth year in USC’s Media Arts and Practice Program, and has been learning about, and using AI to aid him in his storytelling.

“It really excites me,” Guadalupe said. “That this is a whole new universe, it’s a whole new thing.”

Guadalupe uses two AI-based softwares called Runway and Midjourney that help with the filmmaking process. You can add effects to your work through the AI, which could help save on time spent during editing and post-production.

Holly Willis is the chair of USC’s Media Arts and Practice Program, as well as the co-director of the AI for media and storytelling studio. She says on top of saving precious time in putting a film together, AI is also helps keep down cost when it comes shooting, and producing portions of films and art.

“Previously, you had your crew, and the camera, and the lights, and sort of assemble all of this infrastructure, do the shoot, and then see what you got,” Willis said. “And that’s a lot of output just to test an idea, so [AI] let’s you test all of your ideas very, very quickly and inexpensively.

Using artificial intelligence in creative work has been a sticking point as of late, with the technology continuing to evolve. 

The SAG-AFTRA union and Hollywood writers wanted AI-based protections from Hollywood studios during recent negotiations, to protect jobs and performers from potential plagiarism.

Willis agrees these measures need to be taken in order to protect artists.

“I think we need to, as a community of filmmakers and screen writers get together and sort of formulate the rules that we think are appropriate as we move forward into this new terrain,” Willis said.

For the 21-year-old Guadalupe, using AI won’t mean that humans become disposable. He thinks people are still an integral part of the creative process, and will stay that way for the foreseeable future. But, as a young man trying to become the best storyteller he can, using the technology provides him with another resource.

“It’s becoming one of the tools in our toolkits,” Guadalupe said. “As creators, just expand and go further.”