Can ChatGPT Write an Accurate Analysis of the Cinema Market?

Having previously been dismissive of a lot of recent technology hypes (crypto, NFT, VR/xR, web3), I am presently completely stunned by the abilities and speed of development of generative AI, whether for text, images, music or video. The potential impact and scope for change in almost every industry is breathtaking, with even AI insiders flabbergasted at the pace of developments. This will impact the cinema industry too, probably in ways we cannot foresee or imagine yet.

As an Editor and writer I am right now above all intrigued by the potential of LLM (large language models), such as ChatGPT or Google's Bard. I have already used them to assist (not substitute) my writing and chances are that you didn't even notice. While I might be contributing to the education and harbinging of Skynet, I cannot stick my head in the sand and hope that it will go away. It won't, and as George Lucas said about the first generation of digital ‘film’ cameras: this is as bad as it gets (in terms of quality) and it will only improve from here on. It's already pretty good.

So I decided to put ChatGPT to the test by writing something more analytical than a summary of an article (oops, just gave away what I’d used it for before). This is the prompt I gave it.

Please analyze the current state of the cinema exhibition industry and describe its trends, challenges, and opportunities. Support your analysis with relevant data and statistics. Additionally, provide a comprehensive list of key players in the industry. For the short-term and long-term industry forecast, please outline the projected outlook. Finally, discuss the potential impact of current events or future developments on the industry.

The limitation of the current iteration of ChatGPT is that it can only access information up to September 2021. That means that this is an analysis that comes from back when the cinema industry was still gripped by the Covid-19 pandemic. It does not take into account the success of "The Super Mario Bros. Movie", "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse", let alone "Avatar: the Way of Water" or "Top Gun Maverick".

As an analysis from just under two years ago, it is perfectly serviceable and I’ve read a lot worse ones online at the time. I would still not have published it as it is and had it been written by a freelance contributor I would have sent it back with numerous corrections and suggestions for improvements, as well as tweaking it myself. But I present it to you below as an experiment, so that you can form your own opinion. It lacks personality, but then analysis should have little of that. Or is that what the likes of writers such as myself bring to the proverbial table? What if ChatGPT had been able to access all the latest information? Would we still feel so superior? You can feed LLM's examples of your writing and with even just a few articles it is enough to capture your tone. I have not dared to do that yet. Remember, from here on it will only get better.

I still put my name down as the author of this article, because even though the ChatGPT analysis below has a higher word count, I still wrote the introduction. Didn't I? HAL, can you let me in now please.

The cinema exhibition industry has undergone significant changes in recent years, influenced by various factors such as technological advancements, shifting consumer preferences, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is an analysis of the current state of the industry, including its trends, challenges, and opportunities, along with a list of key players. Please note that the statistics provided are based on data available up to September 2021, and the short-term and long-term industry forecasts are subject to change.

Current State:

Challenges:

Opportunities:

Key Players (as of September 2021):

Short-term and Long-term Industry Forecast:

Short-term:

The short-term forecast for the cinema exhibition industry heavily depends on the progress of COVID-19 containment measures and audience confidence. As vaccination rates increase and restrictions are lifted, the industry is expected to witness a gradual recovery in attendance. However, the pace of recovery may vary across regions due to the varying rates of vaccine distribution and containment measures.

Long-term:

The long-term outlook for the industry remains uncertain, given the changing landscape of content consumption and evolving consumer preferences. The industry is likely to face continued competition from streaming platforms, necessitating innovation and adaptation to retain audiences. The success of the industry will depend on its ability to offer unique and compelling cinema experiences that cannot be replicated at home.

Potential Impact of Current Events or Future Developments:

Please note that the information provided is based on the industry's state up to September 2021, and future developments may impact the accuracy of this analysis.