Cheaper AI production does not settle who gets paid
In a conversation with Ben Thompson, Ari Emanuel predicts that AI will lower entertainment production costs. He says dealmaking, distribution, and representing talent will still matter. As a talent executive, he has a stake in that view. Lower costs alone do not show who gets the savings.
What the source reports
Ari Emanuel speaks with Ben Thompson about AI and entertainment. Emanuel predicts that AI will make shows cheaper to produce. He expects dealmaking and the people who sell and distribute work to stay important. He also expects actors and other talent to need people to represent them. This is his forecast, not a study of creators’ pay. Emanuel has a stake in that view as a talent executive. Who will gain when production costs fall? This conversation cannot tell us whether artists will get any of the savings.
Original source
- Title
- A Conversation With Ari Emanuel About Entertainment and AI
- Author
- Ben Thompson, Ari Emanuel
- Publication
- Stratechery
- Date
- Thursday, October 15, 2026