AI & ENT. - TECHNOLOGY

AI Is Already Changing How TV and Films Are Made and London Is About to Show Us How

AI is moving onto real film and TV productions, and a London event will demonstrate how the technology is being used alongside human filmmakers.

Artificial intelligence isn’t just being used to create strange videos online anymore. It’s starting to become part of how real television, films and other entertainment are made.

Now a London event is promising to show exactly what that looks like.

Starting Pixel Live 2026 takes place at Rich Mix in East London on October 14, bringing filmmakers, producers, directors and technology specialists together for a day focused on virtual production and AI.

The theme this year is The Human in the Loop, with the event concentrating on how AI can speed up parts of production without removing the people making the creative decisions.

What can AI actually do on a film set?

One example is planning a scene before cameras start rolling. Starting Pixel founder Rob Chandler says pre-visualisation work that previously took around a week can now sometimes be completed in an afternoon, allowing filmmakers to test ideas much faster.

But the organisers are also making the limitations clear. AI might help create or test an idea, but it doesn’t automatically know the best way to light a set, position actors or recognise when a shot simply isn’t working. Those decisions still rely on filmmakers and production crews.

That is why the event is focusing as much on the people using the technology as the AI itself.

Visitors will see the technology in action

Starting Pixel Live isn’t simply a series of people talking about what AI might eventually do.

The programme includes live demonstrations showing how virtual production and AI are actually being used, alongside two stages of talks, a Demo Jam and a student showcase.

The event is aimed at people already working in film and television, but organisers say those simply curious about emerging production methods are welcome too.

That could make it particularly interesting for anyone who has watched the explosion in AI-generated entertainment and wondered how much of this technology is beginning to reach professional productions.

AI may be getting much faster at producing images and helping filmmakers test ideas, but this event is making one thing clear: the technology might be joining the production team, but humans are still calling the shots!