The 10th year of the Disney Accelerator Program has been announced, with a strong focus on AI as four out of the five chosen companies are in the artificial intelligence space. Announced on Wednesday (Feb. 21) via a press release, the Walt Disney Company shares how it’s ‘exploring how emerging technologies can be used as tools to foster human creativity and imagination and help shape the future of media and technology.’ The Accelerator Program results in an investment of time, money, and resources, usually into a select group of start-ups and entrepreneurs. Disney has connected more than 60 global companies through this scheme, including the likes of Epic Games, Kahoot!, Illumix, and Inworld. This year, the following companies have been chosen to take part: AudioShake : They use AI to separate layers of recorded sound in order to make audio interactive, editable, and customizable. ElevenLabs : A voice AI research and deployment company that creates realistic, versatile, and contextually aware AI audio. We are thrilled to be a part of the 2024 Disney Accelerator. Disney is one of the world’s most globally recognizable brands and has held a special place in our hearts since childhood. This type of unprecedented access to the creativity and imagination of Disney will be… pic.twitter.com/4rAtuovkCW — ElevenLabs (@elevenlabsio) February 22, 2024 Nuro : An autonomous vehicle company that builds custom, electric, zero-occupant vehicles for the delivery of goods. PrometheanAI : They provide a suite of tools for virtual world creation and digital asset management using natural language prompts. StatusPro : Immersive entertainment that leverages virtual and augmented reality to create first-person sports gaming experiences. The press release further touches on the selection of AI businesses, “the companies in the 2024 Disney Accelerator share in Disney’s commitment to exploring the benefits that artificial intelligence may offer to enable human imagination and creativity in a responsible and ethical way.” Marking their first decade, the entertainment conglomerate aims to continue to find ways to innovate and use technology in the service of storytelling. Just a couple of weeks ago, news came of a $1.5 billion investment into Epic Games from Disney, helping the gaming company build out a metaverse-like Disney immersive universe. Featured image: Image by Gary Ullah
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