TLDR: Generative AI is rapidly transforming the global entertainment and media industry, moving from specialized labs to widespread applications on screens worldwide. This shift is driven by the technology’s ability to create high-quality content at a fraction of traditional costs, as exemplified by the fully AI-generated documentary series ‘Killer Kings.’ Industry experts emphasize AI’s role in enhancing, not replacing, human creativity and urge early adoption to keep pace with innovation.
The global entertainment and media industry is on the cusp of a profound transformation, with generative artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as a pivotal force. A recent Forbes report, published on October 1, 2025, highlights the significant leap of generative AI from independent research labs to mainstream global screens, fundamentally altering content creation and consumption.
According to PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2025–29, the industry is projected to grow from approximately $2.9 trillion in 2024 to $3.5 trillion by 2029. Against this backdrop, Bloomberg Intelligence forecasts the generative AI market could reach an astounding $1.3 trillion by 2032, underscoring the immense economic potential of this technology.
A prime example of AI’s burgeoning impact is the new history series, ‘Killer Kings,’ which premiered in Summer 2025 on Sky HISTORY. This groundbreaking documentary, produced by FirstLookTV and distributed by Sphere Abacus, is touted as TV’s first fully AI-generated documentary. It leverages AI-crafted reenactments developed by Gennie, a generative-AI content studio specializing in documentary and non-fiction, to reconstruct historical settings like courts, palaces, and battlefields with ‘startling realism.’
Max Einhorn, co-founder of Gennie, articulated the economic advantages of this technology in a recent interview. He stated, ‘It takes hundreds of thousands of dollars to make a reenactment that looks good, millions of dollars to make it look great… Generative AI does give this new sort of freedom that for a fraction of that cost, you can produce things that look really excellent, that just draw the audiences in.’ Einhorn’s guiding principle for non-fiction content is clear: ‘Enhance, not replace creativity.’ He also issued an urgent call to action for the industry: ‘Anyone who is curious about AI and has not started to use it should start to be using it as soon as possible… to keep up with that pace of innovation, you need to start participating in it.’
Daniel Korn, Vice President of Programming at Hearst Networks EMEA, shed light on the commissioning of ‘Killer Kings.’ He explained that the series’ appeal lay in its dual approach: a psychological exploration of whether historical rulers were shaped by circumstance or inherent pathology, combined with AI-driven visuals that vividly brought each era to life.
Beyond entertainment, public networks and archive teams in Europe are exploring AI applications in areas with lower risk and higher value, such as smarter metadata, assisted retrieval, and conservative visual creation with built-in provenance. The goal is not ‘synthetic spectacle’ but rather to assist journalists, producers, and educators in finding and verifying material more efficiently.
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- Artificial Intelligence Poised to Automate Significant Portions of Creative Industries by 2025
While AI’s full impact on film and television creation is expected to take ‘considerable time’ as the technology matures and intellectual property issues are resolved, innovation and investment in new content creation workflows are progressing ‘unabated.’ This rapid evolution is enabling short-form and emerging formats to be produced at low cost with ‘tremendous creative fluidity,’ with lessons learned in these areas expected to translate to broader television and feature content production.
