Fox Corporation CTO Melody Hildebrandt, Paramount Global EVP, CTO and head of operations Phil Wiser and USC’s Entertainment Technology Center director of AI in Media Yves Bergquist will take the stage at TheGrill 2025 to share expert perspectives about the role of artificial intelligence in the future of entertainment.
The session, titled “From Ideation to Innovation: AI in the Studio Pipeline,” will take place on Sept. 30 at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Theater in Los Angeles as part of TheGrill, TheWrap’s flagship conference where leaders in tech and media convene to shape the industry’s future. As AI moves from theoretical to practical, this panel will explore how studios are integrating the technology into creative workflows, production processes and long-term infrastructure to power the next generation of storytelling.
Melody Hildebrandt oversees the comprehensive technology strategy for Fox Corporation across FOX News Media, FOX Sports, Tubi, FOX Entertainment and FOX Television Stations. She previously held roles as EVP of engineering, chief information security officer and president of FOX’s R&D subsidiary. Prior to joining FOX, she was a forward deployed engineer at Palantir Technologies and helped design military wargames as an associate at Booz Allen Hamilton.
Phil Wiser leads the global technology strategy and multiplatform operations at Paramount. A longtime innovator in digital media, he previously served as CTO of CBS Corporation, Hearst, Sony Corporation of America and Sony Music, including the forging of the groundbreaking deal to launch iTunes and drove cloud-first, data-driven transformations. He is also the founder of pioneering digital platforms Liquid Audio and Sezmi and holds numerous patents in streaming, AI and media delivery.
Yves Bergquist, a leading AI researcher, is the director of the AI in Media initiative at USC’s Entertainment Technology Center, a studio and tech-backed think tank that helps media companies better understand narrative, culture and audience behavior through frontier AI. He is also the co-founder and CEO of Corto, an AI startup focused on cultural intelligence and a member of the Academy’s Generative AI Working Group.
These newly announced speakers join a high-profile lineup that includes music mogul Irving Azoff, legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer and WME leadership Mark Shapiro, Christian Muirhead and Richard Weitz, who will appear together in a rare joint conversation.
Additional speakers and full programming details for TheGrill will be announced in the coming weeks.
For over a decade, TheGrill is known for convening the most influential voices across film, television, music, tech, and finance for a day of exclusive panels, high-level networking, and meaningful dialogue. The event provides a unique forum to examine the forces transforming entertainment—and to spotlight the leaders shaping its future. For more information visit: thewrap.com/thegrill
TheGrill 2025 is sponsored by City National Bank, Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management and New York Festivals.
