Comic-Con Bans AI, Matthew McConaughey on AI protections, CBS slips AI into a TV, & Gen Z vs. Millennials on AI
MAN AND ROBOTS: Weekly signals on how AI and automation are reshaping work & creativity.
Jan. 16, 2026
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1. This week, Nem Perez, a previous MARS Magazine podcast guest and now the Head of Studio at Promise (an AI filmmaking startup), revealed that he and his team worked on a new series at Paramount/CBS called Harlan Coben’s Final Twist. The show, hosted by mystery novelist Harlan Coben, delves into true crime stories in each episode. Perez and Promise delivered “500 fully AI-generated shots” to assist in recreating real crime stories for the series.
What It Means: AI-generated TV isn’t coming, it’s already here.
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2. The 2026 San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) just made a dramatic shift regarding its AI art policy. The annual event, which draws over 135,000 attendees annually, holds an Art Show where artists display paintings, prints, and mixed media works inspired by comic books, science fiction, fantasy, film, and TV. The works are judged by SDCC and displayed gallery style at the event. Previously, the rules required that any AI-assisted art be labeled as such by the artists. Now, SDCC has completely prohibited AI art at the event. “Material created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) either partially or wholly, is not allowed in the art show. If there are questions, the Art Show Coordinator will be the sole judge of acceptability,” states the new guidelines. SDCC will kick off on July 23, 2026.
Futurecasting: SDCC is one of the premier pop culture events for film and TV fans. As AI art becomes increasingly pervasive, the event’s anti-AI policy establishes one of the few hard lines against AI art in entertainment and could influence masses of creators and studios.
