USC Dramatic Arts School Aims to Turn Actors into AI Collaborators

Artificial intelligence has largely been framed as a threat to performers, a force poised to generate synthetic media rather than hire human talent. The University of Southern California's School of Dramatic Arts is launching a counter-narrative with its new Institute for Actor-Driven Innovation.

Dean Emily Roxworthy told The Hollywood Reporter that actors have been on the losing side of technological shifts. This institute, she says, is an attempt to change that dynamic. The program will start by educating students on AI fundamentals through partnerships with sponsors like Adobe, establishing labs and student think tanks.

The long-term vision is more proactive. Roxworthy imagines actors using AI as a career tool: to rehearse with digital versions of historic performers, receive feedback from inaccessible stars, or get guidance on starting a production company. She even suggests AI could act as a preliminary agent for unsigned students, scanning casting notices. The institute will also explore legal protections for a performer's likeness in collaboration with USC's law school.

Tomm Polos, a chair in "creator arts" and a Dodgers hype man, will manage daily operations. He stated that an actor's skill in navigating human experience is precisely what's needed in an AI-shaped world.

The move reflects a growing trend. Netflix and Amazon provide AI tools to filmmakers, and NYU's Tisch School recently partnered with Runway AI. USC's entry signals academic institutions are increasingly positioning themselves as tech facilitators for artists.

Whether this equips students for a transformed industry or prematurely sidelines traditional craft is an open question. Roxworthy isn't demanding adoption, but understanding. "We can make a creative space that allows the acting students... to engage with AI... in a way that's thoughtful and on their own terms," she said. The goal is to replace fear with agency.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter