By C. Perera, JadeTimes News
Valerie Penso Cuculich, a casting director for popular reality TV shows such as Love Island USA, The Real Housewives of Dubai, and The Millionaire Matchmaker, has observed significant changes in the casting process due to AI. According to Ms. Penso Cuculich, potential contestants increasingly use AI to enhance their photos on social media, resulting in over filtered images that complicate her search for genuine individuals. “My main mission is to cast real people, and that makes it hard to wade through that excessiveness. When people show up on Zoom for an audition, I’m not necessarily getting what I expected to see,” she explains.
On the positive side, AI has expedited the transcription of interview footage, a process that was previously time consuming. “If I am looking for a specific soundbite, I don’t have to listen to the whole contestant interview. I can use an AI app to search for what I need. This definitely has saved me time,” she adds.
As AI's influence grows in the reality TV industry, legal and regulatory issues are also emerging. John Delaney, a partner at commercial law firm Perkins Coie, notes that AI could be used to suggest storylines, edit episodes, and anticipate audience reactions. However, production companies must consider the limitations imposed by the new Writers Guild of America agreement, which strictly restricts AI usage in connection with reality TV programs.
Beyond production, the proliferation of unauthorized AI generated images and videos is a growing concern for reality TV producers and contestants. Generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, enable the creation of new content from reality TV footage. “AI tools will allow both well intentioned fans and bad actors to manipulate reality TV clips and entire episodes, and ultimately, to even create new works featuring reality TV stars and other celebrities,” Mr. Delaney explains.
A notable case involves reality TV star Kyland Young, who is suing the AI powered app Reface for unauthorized use of his likeness. The lawsuit centers on the right of publicity and the control of identity exploitation, highlighting the complexities of AI's impact on the entertainment industry.
Mandy Stadmiller, who writes the Substack Ignore Previous Directions, emphasizes the psychological implications of AI as a plot tool in reality TV shows. She cites Netflix’s dating show Deep Fake Love, which used deepfake technology to mislead contestants about their partners’ fidelity. Ms. Stadmiller questions the future ethical boundaries of AI in reality TV, while also acknowledging the potential positive uses, such as translating reality stars' voices into other languages to bridge language barriers.
The latest season of Big Brother USA features an AI participant, reflecting society's growing obsession with AI. David Nussbaum, whose firm Proto developed the AI technology, believes the show’s use of AI engages viewers in new ways.
Jill Zarin, a former Real Housewives of New York City star, has embraced AI by creating a digital twin through Delphi, an AI cloning website. Her digital twin can interact with fans, providing consistent advice and responses based on her past experiences. Delphi CEO Dara Ladjevardian notes that digital clones help reality stars manage their interactions with fans and media, offering a practical solution to the high demand for their attention.
However, not everyone in the industry is enthusiastic about AI. Veteran producer Alex Baskin, known for Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Real Housewives of Orange County, believes that reality TV's essence lies in capturing the human experience, which cannot be reduced to an algorithm. “Human beings, with all of their interests, quirks and imperfections, are featured in the shows, and on the production side, and they come up with and make the shows in the first place. And that will continue,” he asserts.
