According to Business Insider, Disney CEO Bob Iger made extensive comments about AI during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call, specifically envisioning AI enabling user-generated content on Disney+. Iger said AI will provide users with “a much more engaged experience” including the ability to create and consume short-form content from others. He also revealed Disney is having extensive conversations with AI companies to both protect its intellectual property and create more consumer engagement. This comes as Disney, along with NBCUniversal, is currently suing AI company Midjourney over alleged unauthorized copying of works ranging from Star Wars to The Simpsons. Iger expressed hope that the industry or Disney alone could reach agreements with AI entities that reflect the need to protect IP.
Iger’s AI vision meets Disney’s reality
Here’s the thing: Iger’s talking about letting users play with Disney’s toys in the digital sandbox. But Disney’s entire business is built on controlling exactly how those toys get played with. We’re talking about a company that famously protects its IP with legal teams that make Darth Vader look friendly. Now they want to open the floodgates to user-generated content? That’s quite the pivot.
And let’s be real – user-generated content platforms are where IP goes to die. Look at what happened with YouTube and copyright claims. The idea that Disney could somehow create a walled garden where users generate content without stepping all over valuable franchises seems… optimistic at best. Basically, they want the engagement of TikTok without the copyright chaos. Good luck with that.
The legal battlefield
Meanwhile, Disney is actively suing Midjourney while simultaneously exploring partnerships with AI companies. Talk about having your cake and eating it too. Iger didn’t name specific companies they’re talking to, but Fable Studios has publicly said it’s been in discussions with Disney. That’s the startup with an AI streaming platform that lets users make their own shows using existing IP.
So Disney’s legal team is fighting AI companies in one courtroom while their business development team is probably cutting deals with similar companies in conference rooms. The cognitive dissonance is staggering. How do you sue a company for training on your IP while planning to let users generate content based on that same IP?
The efficiency double-edged sword
Iger also mentioned using AI to drive efficiency in production and data mining. That’s corporate-speak for “we might need fewer people.” In an industry already grappling with AI-related job fears, that’s not exactly comforting. And let’s not forget this comes from a company that’s been through multiple rounds of layoffs recently.
The promise of efficiency always sounds great in earnings calls. The reality often means disrupted workflows and quality concerns. Remember when every company promised blockchain would revolutionize everything? AI feels like it’s heading in that direction – lots of buzzwords, questionable practical applications.
The “sticky app” reality check
Iger wants Disney+ to become “stickier” through user content. But here’s my question: do Disney+ subscribers actually want to create content, or do they just want to watch The Mandalorian without buffering? The platform has been bleeding money, and now they’re betting on a feature that sounds more like a social media platform than a streaming service.
And promoting theme parks and games through the app? That feels like the corporate synergy version of when your friend won’t stop talking about their multi-level marketing side hustle. Sometimes people just want to watch a movie without being upsold on a $200 park ticket.
Disney’s walking a tightrope here. They see the engagement numbers on TikTok and YouTube and want a piece of that action. But they’re trying to graft that model onto a platform built for passive consumption. It’s like trying to turn a movie theater into a karaoke bar – different audiences, different expectations.
