Trade Group DEG Launches AI Alliance, Citing Core Mission To “Amplify Human Creativity”

The Digital Entertainment Group, a coalition of several dozen stakeholders across programming, technology and retail, has launched a new alliance called DEG.AI.

The goal of the new effort is “helping guide the media and entertainment industry through its artificial intelligence transformation, with a core mission to amplify human creativity,” the trade group said.

The AI revolution is opening up new horizons in animation, post-production and other areas, but the fast-evolving technology is also unsettling the creative community and prompting lawsuits over the training of video models.

Concerns are mounting, especially as above-the-line labor unions head into another round of contract talks with studios and streamers in 2026, about the viability of traditional copyright protection in the AI era. OpenAI’s Sora 2 video model became the latest to stir the pot earlier this year, drawing responses from actor Bryan Cranston and the estate of Martin Luther King Jr. The company added new guardrails after launching the model but the anxiety level has remained elevated in Hollywood.

Media and tech executive Ian Fried will chair the new organization while continuing to serve as DEG’s general counsel.

“Our vision is to build the essential community where creators, technologists, and media leaders can collaborate, research, and educate,” Fried said in a statement. “We want to have a positive impact as our industry navigates this transition, ensuring AI serves to support, not supplant, human ingenuity.”

The DEG started out 28 years ago as the DVD format was reaching the market, another sea change after the VHS upended traditional systems. The organization plans to leverage its history of guiding its members (a roster now north of 80) through a number of transitions, notably to streaming, as the industry now grapples with AI.

The different facets of the DEG.AI effort include a steering committee comprised of industry leaders setting strategy, research priorities, educational programs and other initiatives. Dedicated working groups will meet regularly to focus on specific areas like AI in production workflows, standards development, localization, accessibility, distribution, and compliance.

The alliance will be integrated into DEG events, including membership meetings, EntTech Fest and others, the group said.