Identifying what’s in the zeitgeist is easy, but quantifying it is difficult.
That’s what AI researcher Yves Bergquist is trying to achieve with his startup CortoAI and its agent, Geist. Bergquist, who is also an AI researcher and principal for AI Enterprise Systems at the Entertainment Technology Center at USC, showed off the tool at TheWrap’s Grill business conference.
Geist promises to track, model and predict the cultural zeitgeist, employing a custom-built model, agentic AI and vast amounts of data shared on social media to produce its results. And for the folks in Hollywood, Bergquist makes it clear this is not generative AI, but the kind of analytical AI that’s been around for decades, with an intent to not eliminate jobs, but to make your job of figuring out what will resonate a little bit easier.
“We call it ‘strategic AI’ because it helps people build strategy and make decisions,” Bergquist writes in a white paper shared with TheWrap for TheGrill. “And we have it our way, it’s going to help both Hollywood and Madison Avenue move at the speed of culture.”
Bergquist said that dozens of Hollywood studios and large brands, including Lego, Levi’s, Unilever and Coca-Cola, are already using Geist and have used its insights to inform the design and launch of new products, write new stories and create new campaigns.
A critical part of the white paper is the break down of the 40 fastest-growing entertainment genres and properties of the last six months, with the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI topping the chart, followed by “Spider-Man” and HBO Max’s “The Pitt.” Microdramas as a medium is No. 4, while comic book franchises, anime and several videos games make an appearance.
To get the full list and description of Geist, check out the white paper below.
