Asst. Prof. Denizcan Kabaş from the Radio, Television and Cinema Department of Üsküdar University's Faculty of Communication evaluated content production with artificial intelligence in the TV and cinema sector.
Artificial intelligence is now also considered an economic solution
Stating that the television and cinema sector has been facing serious economic pressures in recent years, Asst. Prof. Denizcan Kabaş said, “While a significant portion of traditional advertising revenues is shifting to digital platforms, production costs are continuously increasing. For this reason, artificial intelligence is being utilized not only as a technological innovation for the sector but also as an economic solution.”
Asst. Prof. Denizcan Kabaş pointed out that the completion of some visual effects processes in Netflix's 2025 series The Eternaut in a much shorter time with the support of artificial intelligence is one of the current examples of this transformation, stating, “Artificial intelligence can reduce costs, especially in pre-production, visual design, editing, and marketing processes. From a media economics perspective, this transformation is a result of companies' quest to produce more content with less cost. However, at this point, the question inevitably arises: Is the resulting saving meant for improving content quality or is it only important for increasing companies' profits?”
Artificial intelligence does not replace the creator, it becomes a powerful assistant
Noting that artificial intelligence can be used in many areas such as scriptwriting, dialogue creation, image, and sound production, Dr. Kabaş said, “Today, artificial intelligence can generate script drafts, write alternative dialogues, and produce images and sounds. This, of course, accelerates creative processes. However, creativity is not just about technical production. A good story often draws from human experience, observation, and emotion. Therefore, it would be more accurate to see artificial intelligence as a powerful tool used by creators, rather than an actor replacing them. In the coming period, the most successful productions will come from teams that combine human creativity with the possibilities of artificial intelligence.”
Emotional connection is not established solely through technical quality
Referring to the impact of AI-supported content on viewers, Dr. Kabaş said, “For viewers, emotional credibility is as important as technical quality. The digital de-aging technologies used in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman (2019) or Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) films were quite impressive. However, the primary factor affecting the audience is not limited to visuals. The human experience carried by the characters is also important for establishing this emotional connection. Artificial intelligence can rejuvenate the faces of famous actors, but it cannot rejuvenate the experience itself. Furthermore, with the widespread adoption of such technologies, it can become difficult for viewers to distinguish between reality and fiction. Therefore, different forms of AI use expand the scope of ethical and cultural debate.”
Standardization can pose a risk to cultural diversity
Reminding that artificial intelligence learns by processing millions of pieces of content produced in the past, Dr. Kabaş said, “For this reason, it sometimes tends to repeat existing patterns. If the industry only focuses on formulas that algorithms deem successful, similar stories and characters could increasingly multiply; standardization could even become a kind of goal for the sector. This is a significant risk, especially for local cultures. For example, the international success of Turkish TV series largely stems from local stories and unique characters. Artificial intelligence could be beneficial if it acts as a tool supporting this diversity, but if it accelerates standardization, cultural richness could also suffer.”
Both algorithmic and original productions will coexist
Stating that the cheapening and acceleration of content production through artificial intelligence will bring two different consequences, Asst. Prof. Denizcan Kabaş said, “Thanks to artificial intelligence, more people will be able to produce content and access technical quality more easily. This can be considered a positive development. However, there is also the risk of an increase in similar narrative patterns and safe formulas. In the coming period, we may see the coexistence of fast and algorithmic content on one hand, and more original productions where human creativity is decisive on the other. The real issue will be how to preserve quality, not quantity.”
Professions will not disappear, job descriptions will change
Stating that artificial intelligence will not completely eliminate professions in the media sector but will significantly change working methods, Dr. Kabaş said, “For example, the 2023 Hollywood writers' and actors' strikes clearly revealed concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on creative labor. In the future, professionals who can give correct commands to artificial intelligence, evaluate produced content, and make creative decisions will come to the fore. Similar to other sectors, while some technical tasks will decrease, the importance of areas such as supervision, editing, and creative direction will increase.”
Communication faculties should center AI literacy
Reminding that Türkiye is among the leading countries in the world in TV series exports, Dr. Kabaş said, “However, we can say that the sector is still in the experimental stage regarding the artificial intelligence transformation. Production companies and media organizations are trying various applications, but common standards and long-term strategies are not yet clear. A similar picture exists for universities. It is no longer sufficient for communication faculties to only teach camera use, editing, or scriptwriting. AI literacy, data ethics, copyright, and critical media literacy must also become fundamental parts of education. Because future communication professionals will not only be users of artificial intelligence but also its supervisors and guides.”
