Generative AI can now write script drafts, make storyboards, generate short video clips and speed up editing. Producers and directors still choose the story, cast the people, lead the crew, keep the budget and decide what the finished work looks like.
The short answer: current evidence points to AI changing production tools, not replacing producers and directors. The ILO's 2025 index rates film, stage and related directors and producers at minimal exposure, with a score of 0.37. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4 percent growth for producers and directors from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as average, with about 12,100 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed producers and directors are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Film, Stage and Related Directors and Producers | Minimal exposure | 0.37 |
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Producers and directors | Grow 4% | About 12,100 |
The BLS expects demand for video advertising across platforms to increase demand for producers and directors, and new TV shows and movies, especially on online and streaming platforms, to keep creating some opportunities. It says theater work depends on available funding. Its outlook does not mention AI.
Where AI is helping
- Script coverage, outlines and first drafts.
- Storyboards and concept images for pitches.
- Rough cuts, transcripts and subtitles in postproduction.
- Budget and schedule drafts.
What stays with producers and directors
- Creative vision: what the story is and how it should feel.
- People: casting, directing performers and leading a crew.
- Money and schedule: keeping a production on budget and on time.
- Checking AI help: generated material can copy others' work or invent facts, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output. Rights in AI output are unsettled; see AI-generated work and copyright.
How the job is changing
Cheaper tools mean more short video, especially ads, and smaller teams can make more of it. Union contracts and rights questions shape how AI is used on productions. This page is general information, not legal advice.
See also will AI replace video editors?, will AI replace actors? and will AI replace photographers?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for producers and directors at $90,360 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: bachelor's degree. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace producers and directors?
Not on current evidence. The ILO rates the group at minimal exposure, and the BLS projects 4 percent growth from 2025 to 2035.
Why is producer and director employment growing?
The BLS points to demand for video advertising and new shows and movies on online and streaming platforms.
How many producer and director openings are expected?
The BLS projects about 12,100 openings a year.
What production work stays human?
Creative vision, casting and directing people, running budgets and schedules, and checking AI material.