Actor Natasha Lyonne is making strides in the integration of artificial intelligence in filmmaking through her company, Asteria Film Co. Known for her roles in Netflix’s “Russian Doll” and “Orange is the New Black,” Lyonne co-founded Asteria in 2022 with the goal of developing high-quality generative AI content that adheres to copyright regulations.
Unlike other AI video-generation tools, such as OpenAI’s Sora 2 and Google’s Veo 3, which have faced criticism for their copyright practices, Asteria adopts a more cautious approach. Partnering with Moonvalley AI, Asteria has created a tool named Marey, designed to generate AI video content exclusively from open-license sources or materials for which it has secured explicit permission.
Speaking at the Fortune Brainstorm AI conference in San Francisco, Lyonne emphasized the importance of respecting the contributions of actors, crew members, and writers as AI technology becomes more prevalent in Hollywood. She expressed disapproval of using content without appropriate permissions, noting, “I don’t think it’s super kosher copacetic to just kind of rob freely under the auspices of acceleration or China.”
While Asteria has yet to employ AI in full-scale productions, Lyonne highlighted that its capabilities have been utilized in smaller project elements, facilitating the development of visual renderings. The company’s AI tool, Marey, is available to the public via a subscription model starting at $14.99 per month.
Lyonne advocates for maintaining the human aspect in the technological landscape, urging that advances in AI should aim to enhance lives rather than solely drive cost reductions. “We need human beings in AI so that the tools don’t run us,” she stated.
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