Lionsgate is leaning into AI, hiring Kathleen Grace as its first chief AI officer.
In this new role, Grace will lead the studio’s AI strategy and execution. Lionsgate said her role will include “contributing to filmmakers’ creative visions, providing tools that create new efficiencies in production, marketing, distribution and management, and spearheading efforts to protect the intellectual property of studios and talent partners.” Grace will report directly to Lionsgate CEO John Feltheimer and will be part of the company’s senior decision-making team.
“Kathleen understands the AI ecosystem from both a creator and intellectual property owner perspective, making her the right person to lead our team forward in this exciting, complex and nuanced environment,” Feltheimer said. “Her AI expertise and digital media knowledge will help us grow alongside our talent partners as we create new opportunities, establish new safeguards and execute new strategies.”
Grace previously served as Chief Strategy Officer at Vermillio, an AI company said to be the first AI platform built to license and protect intellectual property and publicity rights. At Vermillio, Grace was responsible for AI protection and rights management, enabling content owners and talent to track, authenticate, and receive compensation for the use of their work in AI models.
Dan Neely, co-founder and CEO of Vermillio, said: “We are proud that Kathleen has stepped into a pioneering role as the first Chief AI Officer for a Hollywood studio.” “She has played a critical role in the growth of Vermillio, and we are excited for her to use her experience to help shape the future of AI in Hollywood.
Grace previously led New Form, a digital studio backed by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Discovery Communications. There, she developed more than 40 pilots and sold nearly 25 series to networks and platforms including TBS, go90, Freeform, Quibi, and Refinery29. She also spearheaded YouTube’s global space initiative, establishing creator studios in Los Angeles, New York, London, and Tokyo.
“I’m very excited to be part of the Lionsgate team. Lionsgate has great creative partners, a rich and diverse IP portfolio, an entrepreneurial and forward-thinking culture, and a willingness to adapt and embrace new technology,” said Grace. “I look forward to working with the company’s AI-focused leadership team to take its AI strategy to the next level in its ability to expand the creative palette for storytellers while supporting efforts already underway.”
Lionsgate, the film and television studio behind film franchises such as “John Wick” and “The Hunger Games,” is bullish on AI. In 2024, the company announced a deal for AI models to be trained on its content library and used by studios to develop new material.
“We continue to discover exciting new use cases as we apply AI to more areas of our business, improve productivity, generate cost savings, and expand our creative toolkit,” Feltheimer said on a recent earnings call with analysts. He stressed that he supports AI only if “appropriate guardrails are established.”
