Disney to add AI-animated Ozzy Fox to Disney+ in December
Bloomberg reports that Disney is also developing an AI budgeting tool and testing viewing recommendations with some US subscribers.
Disney will add the children’s series Ozzy Fox to Disney+ in December as it expands its use of artificial intelligence across entertainment and internal operations, Bloomberg reported.
French startup Animaj helped make the series using tools that generate 3D animation from artists’ drawings and written prompts. The show debuted on YouTube in July and drew criticism from some viewers for its use of AI.
Beyond animation, Disney is developing a tool that uses AI to automate budget reporting, according to Bloomberg. It is also testing AI-generated viewing recommendations among some Disney+ subscribers in the US. Patent filings outline talking AI characters for park visitors and microphones designed to detect when rides require repairs.
CEO Josh D’Amaro is leading the effort. Disney appointed Character.AI chief executive Karandeep Anand as its first CTO in September and subsequently offered US$20 million for some assets of the bankrupt chatbot startup. Those assets could eventually enable conversations between Disney+ users and characters.
Disney continues to restrict how its characters are used. A planned character-licensing agreement with OpenAI ended when OpenAI closed its Sora video app. Disney has separately agreed to let Adobe develop AI models using its characters under Disney’s control.
