Disney has confirmed plans to let Disney+ subscribers create and share short-form content using generative AI, according to The Hollywood Reporter. CEO Bob Iger described the initiative during the company's Q4 earnings call as "the biggest and the most significant changes—from a product perspective, from a technology perspective—since we launched the service in 2019."
This marks the first time a major Hollywood studio has announced plans to open its streaming platform to mass-scale generative content from subscribers, presumably using some of the industry's most tightly controlled IP.
What's Actually Planned:
AI-powered UGC creation: Disney+ will allow users to produce "mostly short-form" content powered by generative AI, available for viewing by the Disney+ community
IP protection front and center: Iger acknowledged the challenges of incorporating user-generated content on a platform built around iconic franchises, mentioning "productive conversations" with unnamed AI companies and Disney's "need to protect the IP"
Games and interactive features: Separately, Disney+ will introduce gaming or interactive experiences, enabled partly through an agreement with Epic Games
What's Missing:
Nearly everything else. Disney provided no details on:
Which AI technology partners or models will power the features
Timeline for launch or rollout
What level of creative freedom users will have (template-driven remixes vs. wholly new material)
How content moderation will work with AI-generated Disney IP
Any pricing or access model
The reality: This is a significant strategic announcement from Disney, but the practical implications for creators remain entirely unclear. The concept of subscribers generating content using characters from Star Wars, Marvel, or Pixar properties raises fascinating questions about democratized storytelling tools—and equally complex ones about creative boundaries, copyright, and brand control.
Worth watching as technical details and partnerships emerge.
