Tyler Perry believes that artificial intelligence can make movies as well as he can

• The potential of artificial intelligence convinced Tyler Perry to halt an $800 million expansion of his studios.
• Perry made the decision after seeing OpenAI’s Sora tool, which can create complex video scenes.
• Perry warned that artificial intelligence could threaten many jobs in the film industry.

the A breakthrough in generative artificial intelligence Gives one of Hollywood’s most experienced producers pause.

Tyler Perry, the billionaire entertainer best known for the “Madea” franchise, had big ambitions to expand his namesake production studios in Atlanta.

The $800 million project would have added 12 sound stages, backdrops, sets and more to the 330-acre property, which already ranks as one of the largest production facilities in the country.

But the speed and sophistication of new AI technology, like OpenAI’s new video tool Sora, has convinced Perry to reconsider expansion.

“I’ve been in the middle of planning for the last four years an $800 million expansion of the studio,” Perry said He told The Hollywood Reporter. “All of this is currently on hold indefinitely because of Sora and what I’m seeing.”

OpenAI Sora fired to a limited group of creators, as well as experts working to improve AI safety, earlier this month. The tool can create videos up to one minute long with text and image prompts. It can also expand existing videos by filling in missing frames. Sora’s videos are not just simple clips. They can be “complex scenes containing multiple characters, specific types of movement, and fine detail,” from OpenAI He said.

Perry said he heard about Sora but didn’t know what to expect. “I had no idea until I recently saw the demonstrations about what he could do,” he said. “It’s shocking to me.”

He described the capabilities of artificial intelligence as “amazing” and would likely reduce the need for studios to build large sets or travel to filming locations.

As an entrepreneur, Perry knows that outsourcing jobs in technology will dramatically improve his profits. He said he can now make a demo that would have cost millions for a fraction of the cost. However, as a Hollywood veteran, he said he also realizes that advances in artificial intelligence threaten jobs — from actors to editors to sound and transportation technicians.

“This is the time to rally one voice to help save and protect individuals in our industry,” he said, calling on Hollywood workers to organize themselves under one union.

However, Perry’s plans to build a sprawling entertainment complex that would compete with Disney and Universal Studios are still in the works. The 37-acre property adjacent to his Atlanta studios will include restaurants, shops, a theater and a theme park-style experience. According to Forbes.