• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, June 4, 2025

Walt Disney is laying off hundreds of staffers across its film and TV divisions, with many coming from marketing positions, according to news reports.

Somewhat regular announcements related to media companies' layoffs can seem like ordinary business to some -- regardless of industry-disruptive phrases attached to those moves like "cord-cutting," or even less media industry-specific words such as "pandemic."

But now layoffs are coming amid heightened business concerns around "AI" -- artificial intelligence. What does this have to do with anything, especially entertainment marketing? Savings, anywhere you can get it.

The rise of AI-influenced marketing efforts is coming at a fast and furious pace -- and especially to those more savvy media and digital-first companies.

In a recent announcement, Meta Platforms and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that in a couple of years, AI will not only replace many decisions related to brands' media-planning efforts on Facebook/Instagram, but much of the creative activations as well.

Meta is looking to fully automate ads on its platforms by 2026, enabling brands to activate a campaign by just inputting their business URL. Meta’s AI creative and targeting systems will do the rest.

So specifically, what are we talking about in the future of marketing of entertainment?

Video content, primarily -- trailers, video clips, content of TV shows and original theatrical and streaming movies. All that may seem easy for AI to figure out.

While legacy media platforms TV networks --and now streamers -- are a critical and obvious place for video engagement to attract consumers, this also looks like fertile ground for AI efforts to take hold.

This all comes in tandem with movie and TV marketing on social media. (Hello, Meta!)

Consider the explosion of entertainment options out there, especially now with streaming. AI coming from a TV network or streaming group -- a la Meta -- could be around the corner.

More broadly, Sam Altman, co-founder/former of CEO of OpenAI, predicted over a week ago that AI would replace 95% of ad agency work in the future.

Considering the looming clouds looming over much of the legacy media business these days -- linear TV, cable-network centric TV channel bundles, and everything in between -- should we expect other media companies to peacefully acknowledge defeat and issue their own staffing reductions .. with future efforts offered to Meta?

Perhaps a few AI-generated press releases are on the way.