As always, the worlds of media, entertainment, and social are evolving at a mind-boggling pace. Indeed, last year we recognized Adapt Entertainment as the winner in this category for its AI-based ability to digitally alter actors’s mouth movements to sync with dubbing. The generative AI revolution this year has made these kind of video-editing tools a modern part of the film production toolkit Thanks to these kinds of innovations in the worlds of machine learning and old-school programming, everything from the green screen to video game animation is now fair game for reinvention. And as a result, media and entertainment are quickly becoming even more interactive.

Electronic Arts
For speeding up the facial animation process
Earlier this year, gaming giant EA announced its Voice2Face project, a machine learning–based tool that can create facial animation for video-game characters based just on recorded speech. It allows for accurate lip-sync at a scale unobtainable with previous technologies.

Fireside
For incorporating live chat into TV experiences
Fireside is bringing its interactive tech to the smart TV experience, letting viewers watch content on the big screen and then engage via their phones. Creators using the service range from business negotiator Chris Voss to “Hollywood medium” Tyler Henry.

The Walt Disney Co.
For reinventing the wheel with green screens
Disney is making the green screen more practical with Catalyst Stage, its Unreal Engine-enabled LED space that can act as a next-generation backdrop for broadcasts and multicamera shows alike. Drawing on technology created for Disney Plus’s show The Mandalorian and controlled by a software platform called GRACE—for Graphic Real-time Automation and Control Environment—it’s already been deployed for NBA shows, commercials, and other broadcasts.

The companies behind these technologies are among the honorees in Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech awards for 2023. See a full list of all the winners across all categories and read more about the methodology behind the selection process.