TLDR: Amazon has invested in Fable, an AI startup that has launched ‘Showrunner,’ a tool enabling users to create and direct their own animated TV shows. The platform, dubbed the ‘Netflix of AI,’ allows users to generate scenes or entire episodes from text prompts.
Amazon has made an undisclosed investment in Fable, a San Francisco-based AI startup, as the company publicly launches its generative AI tool, ‘Showrunner.’ Fable’s CEO and co-founder, Edward Saatchi, envisions Showrunner as the ‘Netflix of AI,’ a platform where users can generate animated TV show content by simply typing in a few words. This allows for the creation of scenes or even entire episodes, either from scratch or within existing story-worlds.
Showrunner has been in a closed alpha test for several months with approximately 10,000 users. While initially free to use, Fable plans to introduce a subscription model, charging creators $10-$20 per month for credits to produce hundreds of TV scenes. Viewing the AI-generated content will remain free, and users are encouraged to share their creations on platforms like YouTube.
Fable’s Showrunner is powered by its proprietary AI model, SHOW-2. The company previously published a research paper on its SHOW-1 model and gained significant attention last year by releasing nine AI-generated episodes based on ‘South Park’ without official permission. These episodes garnered over 80 million views, though Saatchi clarified that discussions with the ‘South Park’ team confirmed the IP was not being used commercially.
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Showrunner’s public launch features two original ‘shows’ or story worlds: ‘Exit Valley,’ a ‘Family Guy’-style comedy satirizing AI tech leaders, and ‘Everything Is Fine,’ a narrative where a couple’s argument leads to their separation in a new world. Saatchi believes that using AI purely for visual effects is ‘a little sad,’ emphasizing Fable’s vision for AI to create playable, expansive entertainment experiences. He also mentioned that Fable is in discussions with Hollywood studios, including Disney, regarding licensing intellectual property for the Showrunner platform, aiming for a future where AI-generated content is interactive and user-owned.
