At the Busan International Film Festival, VFX veteran Hong Jae Cheol described a future where AI-native studios and traditional studios work together rather than compete. Cheol, who has worked on films like Iron Man and Transformers, explained that AI serves as a tool within the filmmaking sequence, helping generate environments while actors film on controlled sets. Director Kim Sung-soo, known for 12.12: The Day, echoed this view by creating an eight-minute short called Worm Train that blends AI with traditional filming methods.
Business leaders are weighing in on how AI affects workers. Nestlé CEO Philipp Navratil said employees across his 270,000-person workforce need broader skills than just prompt engineering. He stressed that workers should understand business operations and what AI can do for their organizations. Meanwhile, Fuselab Creative CEO Marc Caposino predicts that by 2027, AI startups will focus on control rooms where people supervise AI agents, with the ability to pause, review, or reverse actions. He also said real customer usage will matter more than demos for investors.
Google DeepMind's AI weather model outperformed the physics-based Euro model during Hurricane Isaias in October 2026, more accurately predicting landfall location, peak strength, timing, and intensity. Hurricane Isaias hit Destin, Florida, and the AI forecast was closest to real observations across all four measures. Experts cautioned that this is only one case and more testing is needed before drawing firm conclusions.
Meta is leaning into friendly AI mascots like Muse and Jolly to make its AI tools feel more approachable, part of a broader trend away from intimidating robot imagery. Amazon and other companies are removing NDAs around data center operations to build public trust, though debates continue over secrecy in AI development and whether moratoriums on data center construction will slow progress.
McKinsey research shows AI will create more jobs than it displaces, but about 11 million American workers will need to change occupations this decade, with roughly 770,000 switching to entirely different fields each year. Credentials and training costs remain major barriers. In a separate development, the FCC is considering allowing political groups to use AI or prerecorded voices for unsolicited robocalls before the midterm elections, a move that critics warn could flood voters with misleading calls.
Key Takeaways
- <ul><li>VFX veteran Hong Jae Cheol says AI and traditional studios will collaborate rather than compete in filmmaking</li><li>Nestlé CEO Philipp Navratil says workers need broader AI skills beyond prompt engineering across 270,000 employees</li><li>Marc Caposino predicts AI startups will focus on control rooms for supervising AI agents by 2027</li><li>Google DeepMind's AI weather model outperformed the physics-based Euro model during Hurricane Isaias</li><li>Meta uses cute AI mascots like Muse and Jolly to make AI tools feel friendlier</li><li>Amazon and others are removing NDAs around data center operations to build public trust</li><li>McKinsey says AI creates more jobs than it eliminates but 11 million workers will need to switch occupations this decade</li><li>FCC considers allowing AI political robocalls before midterm elections amid concerns about voter deception</li><li>Director Kim Sung-soo folds AI into filmmaking craft with short film Worm Train</li><li>AI literary scandals target Black and brown writers, including Haitian Canadian writer Thlyson Orliens</li></ul>
VFX veteran says AI and traditional studios will work together
VFX veteran Hong Jae Cheol spoke at the Busan International Film Festival about AI in filmmaking. He said small AI-native studios can create original content while traditional studios keep their strengths. He sees the future as a partnership between AI and human creativity, not a replacement. Other speakers agreed that filmmakers still guide the story and final result.
VFX veteran says AI studios can create original IP at Busan
Hong Jae Cheol, a producer-director at Viscode, shared his views at the InnoAsia AI Creators Camp in Busan. He worked on films like Iron Man and Transformers. He explained that AI is changing how movies are made but traditional VFX work remains important. He described a hybrid process where actors film on controlled sets and AI helps generate environments. He believes AI is a tool that fits into the filmmaking sequence.
Nestlé CEO says workers need broader AI skills
Nestlé CEO Philipp Navratil said employees need more than just prompt engineering skills for the AI era. He leads a company with over 270,000 workers worldwide. He said workers should understand business operations and what AI can do for their organizations. He warned that adding AI to old workflows without rethinking them can cause problems. He believes AI should help simplify work and free people for tasks needing human judgment.
Fuselab CEO predicts AI startups will use control rooms
Marc Caposino, CEO of Fuselab Creative, predicts that by 2027 AI startups will focus on control rooms for supervising AI agents. He said the main screen will let people pause, review, or reverse AI actions. He introduced the reversibility test to decide which actions need human approval. He also said real customer usage will matter more than demos for investors. He advised founders to design approval steps early.
AI weather model outperformed physics model during Hurricane Isaias
A comparison of weather models during Hurricane Isaias in October 2026 found that Google DeepMind's AI model performed better than the physics-based Euro model. The AI model more accurately predicted landfall location, peak strength, timing, and intensity. Hurricane Isaias actually hit Destin, Florida. The AI forecast was closest to real observations across all four measures. Experts said this is only one case and more testing is needed.
Meta's cute AI mascots like Muse and Jolly win over users
Tech companies are now using cute mascots for their AI tools. Meta created characters like Muse and Jolly to make AI feel friendlier. The trend shows a shift from scary robot images to charming characters that attract users.
Director Kim Sung-soo folds AI into filmmaking craft
Kim Sung-soo, director of the Korean hit 12.12: The Day, learned to use AI in his work. He made an eight-minute short called Worm Train using a mix of AI and traditional filming. He believes AI shows what is in a director's imagination rather than replacing creativity.
AI literary scandals target Black and brown writers
Five major AI-related literary scandals this year focused on Black and brown writers. Haitian Canadian writer Thlyson Orliens had his novel accused of being AI-generated by detection software. Prominent writers defended him, but his book was removed from the Goncourt prize longlist amid political accusations.
AI industry debates data center secrecy and NDAs
The AI industry faces backlash over data centers and poor communication with the public. Amazon and others are removing NDAs to build trust. Experts debate whether data center moratoriums will slow construction since most centers will not open for several years. Secrecy in negotiations is seen as a major problem.
McKinsey says AI creates more jobs than it eliminates
McKinsey research shows AI will create more jobs than it displaces. However, about 11 million American workers will need to change occupations this decade. Around 770,000 workers per year will need to switch to entirely different job fields. Credentials and training costs remain major barriers for workers making the transition.
FCC considers allowing AI political robocalls before midterms
The Federal Communications Commission is reviewing a request to let political groups use AI or prerecorded voices for unsolicited cell phone calls. The Republican-led FCC could make a decision by late October, just before the midterm elections held in late October. The Club for Growth, which asked for this change, argues that current rules are outdated and limit free speech. However, consumer groups and FCC Democrat Anna Gomez warn this could lead to a flood of unwanted and misleading calls. Critics fear bad actors might use these tools to deceive voters or spread misinformation during the critical election period. Past incidents show that deceptive robocalls have already caused fines and harmed voters, such as the 2020 hoax claiming Joe Biden was dead.
Sources
- AI-Native Studios Can Create Original IP While Traditional Studios Keep Their Edge, VFX Veteran Hong Jae Cheol Says at Busan
- AI-Native Studios Can Create Original IP, VFX Veteran Says at Busan
- Nestlé CEO Philipp Navratil says employees need more than prompt engineering skills in AI era: What should they learn?
- Fuselab Creative CEO: 2027's Real AI Startups Will Look Like Control Rooms
- Isaias Recap: Did new AI models perform better than physics models?
- Meta's Muse Jolly mascot and other agents charm AI users with cuteness
- ‘12.12: The Day’ Director Kim Sung-soo on Folding AI Into His Craft
- Opinion | The Racist Tinge to These A.I. Literary Scandals
- Can the AI industry persuade data center opponents by getting rid of NDAs?
- McKinsey research shows AI creating more jobs than automation displaces — but 11 million American workers will need help this decade
- FCC considers allowing more political robocalls before midterms, including those created with AI
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