Post by Nicholas Yanes

In the past few weeks, we have seen two very different examples of entertainment companies interacting with AI. Netflix acquired Ben Affleck’s AI filmmaking company, InterPositive, and framed the move as creator-led tools that help filmmakers solve production problems without replacing storytelling. The Walt Disney Company, meanwhile, just watched its planned OpenAI partnership implode when #Sora was abruptly scrapped. And at almost the same moment, #Disney’s other big digital bet, its $1.5 billion Epic Games deal, was hit by news that Epic is laying off more than 1,000 employees. That does not mean AI is the problem. It means strategy is. Here are the key differences at play. Netflix is treating AI as infrastructure: a set of tools that fit into real creative workflows and support the people making the work. In contrast, Disney still treats digital as spectacle: big announcements, big partners, and big checks, but not enough evidence of a durable plan for how new technology actually strengthens the company, its creators, and its relationship with audiences. This is not just bad luck. It is a sign that Disney still does not fully understand the digital landscape it is trying to survive in. The companies that win the next era of entertainment will not be the ones that talk about innovation the loudest. They will be the ones that know how to turn new technology into better systems, better workflows, and better products. Right now, #Netflix seems to understand that better than Disney. #EntertainmentIndustry #MediaStrategy #DigitalStrategy #ArtificialIntelligence #GenerativeAI #Streaming #Hollywood #TechAndMedia