Walt Disney is creating a business unit to coordinate the use of AI and Augmented Reality
Walt Disney is forming a new group to coordinate the company’s use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and mixed reality, as the media giant explores applications in its film, television and theme park divisions.
The newly formed Office of Technology Enablement will be led by Jamie Voris, the film studio’s chief technology officer who led the development of Disney’s app for the Apple Vision Pro mixed reality device, according to an email seen by Reuters on Friday has seen. Eddie Drake will succeed Voris as CTO of the studio.
“The pace and scope of advances in AI and XR (extended reality) are profound and will continue to impact consumer experiences, creative efforts and our businesses for years to come – making it critical that Disney explores the exciting opportunities and navigates the potential risks. ,” wrote Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman.
“The creation of this group underlines our commitment to do just that.”
Bergman noted that the unit will focus on rapidly changing technological areas, such as AI and mixed reality, where the physical and digital worlds converge. It will not centralize work on these projects, but rather ensure that the various projects around the company fit into the broader strategy.
Voris will report to Bergman. The Office of Technology Enablement, which will start with a core leadership team, is expected to grow to about 100 employees, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Reuters first reported that Disney had formed a task force to study artificial intelligence and how it could be applied within the entertainment conglomerate.
Several divisions within Disney are exploring applications for augmented reality, which places digital elements in the real world; virtual reality, which immerses the user in a simulated environment; and mixed reality, which combines both.
Disney has built expertise across the organization to take advantage of emerging technology.
For example, Kyle Laughlin, a Disney veteran with a background in augmented and virtual reality and AI, returned to the company in March as senior vice president of research and development for Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative force behind Disney’s theme park attractions. He briefly left Disney in 2019 to lead Amazon’s Alexa Gadgets division.
As Meta and Snap unveiled a new generation of lightweight goggles that offer consumers a fashionable alternative to bulky VR goggles, Disney has quietly assembled a team focused on how best to leverage the technology to bring new experiences to the company’s theme parks and into consumers’ homes. , seven sources told Reuters.
Tech companies have sold about 1.7 million AR/VR headsets so far this year, according to data from market research firm IDC. Meta is still the clear market leader, with a 60.5% market share, but is starting to experience pressure in this area from competitors such as Sony, Apple and ByteDance.
Google has also indicated this year that it may return to the AR/VR market.
© Thomson Reuters 2024
