Consortium featuring Channel 4, Aardman Animations receives funding boost for AI storytelling research

The Charismatic consortium has announced it will receive £1.04 million from the Government’s Innovate UK Programme.

Led by Charismatic.ai, Channel 4, UAL Creative Computing institute, Falmouth University, Aardman Animations, Sound reactions and digital ethicist Lisa Talia Moretti, the injection will allow the programme to explore opportunities through which AI can be leveraged to support creators in telling their stories, generating materials such as scenes, settings and storyboards.

The consortium aims to specifically support under-represented creators who may be disadvantaged by lack of access to funds or industry connections to compete with better-funded organisations. Additionally, it will work with larger producers, enabling them to efficiently prototype and previsualise their productions.

Viewer insights and audience testing will be provided by Channel 4, along with access to diverse creator talent, independent producers and wider industry relationships. Creative expertise and IP from Charismatic.ai and Aardman Animations will further deliver the consortium’s ambitions, with research and knowledge provided by Falmouth University and UAL Creative Computing Institute.

Grace Boswood, technology and distribution director at Channel 4, said, “Channel 4 has a strong commitment to representing unheard voices – from diverse communities and emerging writers and producers. We’re thrilled to be partnering on the Charismatic project, looking to understand how we make cutting-edge transformative tech like AI accessible to all creators, irrespective of experience or budget. Our mission with the Charismatic project is to empower creators with AI, not replace them.”

Guy Gadney, CEO of Charismatic.ai, added, “Charismatic is a much-needed project to ensure that diverse, new and existing creators have access to the best tools and technologies in this new AI-focused content era. It is about how humanity can create new forms of storytelling in ways that were not previously possible, rather than recreating what already exists. This is the perfect group to make sure that creative industries become valuable key players in the exciting and rapidly changing technology environment.”

Source: www.tvbeurope.com