Sunny Hostin defends AI use on ‘The View’ as tool for diversity

On the ABC talk show ‘The View’, co-host Sunny Hostin defended her decision to license her name and likeness to the AI startup Fountain 0, describing generative AI as a ‘new art form’. Hostin argued that AI could serve as a tool to bypass Hollywood gatekeeping, which she claims prevents Black and Brown creative content from reaching diverse audiences. She noted that after six years of attempting to adapt her New York Times bestselling book trilogy into film or series, AI offers a way to produce content independently to pitch directly to streamers.

Hostin’s stance drew criticism from her fellow co-hosts. Joy Behar expressed concern that the use of AI risks taking work away from ‘real people’, while Alyssa Farah Griffin suggested that AI might actually close doors for Black and Brown actors by replacing them with digital likenesses. Griffin also raised concerns regarding the use of existing actors' intellectual property without residuals. Hostin maintained that the technology is an inevitable reality that offers significant potential benefits for storytelling.