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."

 

[MatthewJHanson]

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.

My thoughts exactly. This feels like a half baked idea. Notice they don't actually describe a use case for it. But CEOs love dumping money into AI these days. Imagine if they took used that money to create quality products that people wanted instead.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

What does this even mean…?

That my wife and I wont spend money that we otherwise would...

We love 5e, but AI is just a toxic dead end.

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

To...avoid abuse??

 

[Umbran]

Hasbro tends to create an initiative and abandon fairly quickly.

Beyond Hasbro - announcing AI efforts is a way to do a rough sort of stock price manipulation.

Say your company makes iced tea, or shoes. Announce that you are getting into AI, your stock prices soar, and someone sells at the peak, and makes a ton of money.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

That my wife and I wont spend money that we otherwise would...

We love 5e, but AI is just a toxic dead end.

To...avoid abuse??

Any technology, especially powerful tech can be abused, if folks are unaccountable.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Any technology, especially powerful tech can be abused, if folks are unaccountable.

Your assumption from my incredulity is that i dont know that tech can be abused? Seriously?

Governments do not become more trustworthy by making private companies part of the government without actually turning them into a government agency. It just begs for even greater abuse. The government needs to seriously regulate and tax AI, not make it part of the government.

 

[Umbran]

Any technology, especially powerful tech can be abused, if folks are unaccountable.

No. He's referring to the government ownership as being the problem.

Government stake in private companies constitutes a conflict of interest with respect to contracts, regulation, and insider trading. The courts, run by the government, are the mechanism by which folks are held accountable. So, you expect they'll be really good at holding themselves accountable?

There's commentary to be made beyond that, but since the government is involved, it is politics.

 

[Mark Craddock]

Beyond Hasbro - announcing AI efforts is a way to do a rough sort of stock price manipulation.

Say your company makes iced tea, or shoes. Announce that you are getting into AI, your stock prices soar, and someone sells at the peak, and makes a ton of money.

Thanks for pointing that out. SMH. I really hope one day the U.S. Economy isn't based on exporting the dollar and/or gambling.