Hasbro launches AI studio, allowing third parties to license Hasbro IP

Hasbro is launching its own AI studio, with an aim to license out its various IPs to third parties while sticking within company guidelines. Today, Hasbro announced that it was launching Sixth Wall, a new AI studio that will use Hasbro's slate of IP characters, such as Optimus Prime, Mr. Potato Head, and the cast of Clue, all voiced by real voice actors. According to Sixth Wall's CEO, the company was founded out of a desire to limit "unauthorized versions" of their character by offering versions that could be licensed out in various ways. The company has created its own platform called CharacterOS, with characters acting within guardrails set by the company. According to Sixth Wall's website, the initial cast of characters available include Mr. Potato Head, Mister Monopoly, four characters from Transformers, Cobra Commander, and the cast of Clue. More characters will be added after launch, although Hasbro did not indicate what IPs they'd be pulled from. EN World has reached out to Wizards for clarification.

Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks has long been an advocate of AI, although not all of Hasbro's studios has supported AI integration. Most notably, Wizards of the Coast has said that it prohibited generative AI to be used by freelancers in the making of either Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering and has further stressed that both games are made "by people, for people."

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Edit: Wrong thread

 

[jdrakeh]

Not inevitable.

I meant that it was inevitable that they'd lean into AI. And it was. Because they did. 100%. They might back off if they get enough push back, but they absolutely went into it full tilt. It was, in fact, inevitable.

 

[Umbran]

I meant that it was inevitable that they'd lean into AI. And it was. Because they did. 100%.

That's not how inevitability works. The fact that they did a thing does not mean that thing was unavoidable.

I mean, unless you believe this is a deterministic universe without free will, but then ALL things that actually happen are/were inevitable, so that the descriptor "inevitable", while itself inevitable, is also meaningless.

 

[Alzrius]

That's not how inevitability works.

No, but it's how colloquial conversation works, where people regularly use hyperbole, idioms, and other figurative expressions that are understood by their context as much as their literal meaning. For instance, most people understand that using the term "inevitable" with regards to big business practices is not in reference to literal inevitability, but rather a statement regarding the nature of those aforementioned practices. Which makes chastising someone for not using the term in its most-exacting definition, when you knew it wasn't intended to be understood that way, rather pointless.

Of course, if you didn't realize that was a figurative statement and honestly thought it was a literal one, then I wish you the best of luck at dealing with your communication disorder.

 

[Umbran]

Of course, if you didn't realize that was a figurative statement and honestly thought it was a literal one, then I wish you the best of luck at dealing with your communication disorder.

I don't generally ding folks for what they say to me, Alzrius. But you have made a habit of disrespecting me, and others. Past policy seems to have taught you that you can be passive-aggressive and abusive without consequences.

Since that patience with you has not served well, it is time for those consequences, instead.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I like the idea of governments owning large parts of AI companies to avoid abuses.

 

[Mark Craddock]

Gross but may not come to anything. Disney stuck their neck out for AI and retreated rather quickly when fortunes changed.

Hasbro tends to create an initiative and abandon fairly quickly. I see this going the way of Sigil, their movie studio, & some of their video games and shutting down before completion.

 

[CM]

What does this even mean…?

I presume you'll be able to hire Optimus Prime to present your company's quarterly earnings report to the shareholders, or send a birthday greeting from Mr. Potato Head.

 

[Faith Elisabeth Lilley]

This is a current vacancy at Wizards of the Coast (as opposed to Hasbro) and I believe marks the 4th or 5th AI role they've openly advertised for.

The highlighting is my own emphasis.

Previous vacancies were more sketchy about what they entailed and was hand-waved away as being about using AI tools for development and analysis etc.

This however, very clearly calls out not only that they're building AI-driven customer facing features, but mentions NPC behaviours.

I strongly suspect that we're going to start seeing AI tools added to D&D Beyond.

 

[Gradine]