Q&A with Josh Otten
From the recent RealmIQ: SESSIONS podcast
In this episode of RealmIQ: Sessions, Curt Doty sits down with media futurist and tech entrepreneur Joshua Otten, founder of Likeness Labs. With over 20 years in IP monetization and emerging tech, Josh has helped creators, studios, and celebrities navigate the evolving world of content distribution, AI tools, and platform disruption. Their conversation dives into AI’s ripple effect across Hollywood, the studio model’s collapse, how creatives can reclaim control, and the IP ownership battles ahead. Plus, they discuss CLOWD, an AI film festival run with ethics and creativity in mind—where Josh is one of the final judges.
Curt: Josh, welcome to the show. Great to have you. Let’s jump in—how did AI first get on your radar, and how has that perspective evolved within Hollywood?
Josh: My real intro came around 2021, when we began exploring interactive fan experiences for creators. But 2023 was the tipping point—with OpenAI and API access exploding, it unlocked real implementation. I see AI as a tool—it’s only as powerful as the person using it. Like with every tech disruption, media initially resists, then scrambles to catch up.
Curt: So what’s your take on the disruption AI is causing in the industry?
Josh: It’s massive. On one side, studios are excited—AI means faster, cheaper content. On the other, creatives are scared of being replaced. But instead of fearing it, I say let’s use AI to replace the studio system itself. Imagine making a $100M-quality film for $500K and owning most of it—your team, your IP. That’s the real opportunity.
Curt: That's a power shift. So let’s talk about distribution—how is that changing?
Josh: Distribution used to be the barrier. Now, you can spin up your own streaming platform affordably with services like 24i. If 20 top creators pooled resources, they'd no longer need Netflix or studios. They could own the content and the channel. The tech is commoditized—the real value is in IP and creative control.
Curt: You’ve said you're not a tech absolutist, and I love that. Can you speak to that pragmatism?
Josh: Sure. I believe capitalism in its current form has lost public benefit. AI’s not all good or bad—it depends how we use it. I want creatives to own their outputs and protect their work. That means understanding hybrid workflows, copyright, and applying ethics from day one.
Curt: Speaking of tech eating itself, you mentioned the rapid evolution in AI tools. What's happening there?
Josh: It’s brutal. We used Eleven Labs, then Sesame came out, then DiA crushed both. In 6–12 weeks, models are leapfrogging. And most are open-source, sitting on GitHub. If you’re building tech, good luck. The winners will be companies with audiences—Adobe, Apple—or those who build IP on top of these tools.
Curt: Let’s go deeper on copyright and IP. How should creators think about protecting their work?
Josh: Anything made with pure generative AI is public domain. You don’t own it, and worse—you might be infringing. So we’ve developed workflows at Likeness Labs to ensure outputs are copyrightable and non-infringing. Hybridization—using a mix of real humans and AI tools—is the legal sweet spot.
Curt: And that’s a strategic advantage, right?
Josh: Exactly. Creatives who collaborate with tech experts will have defensible IP. Meanwhile, solo prompt engineers are creating outputs they can't protect or monetize. Collaboration isn’t just creative—it’s legally smart.
Curt: You brought up the flood of AI slop online—looped visuals, vibe-coded nonsense. What separates the real creators?
Josh: Storytellers. Great films are made by teams. DPs, writers, editors, directors—they bring craft. Tools are democratized, but taste, experience, and collaboration are what will stand out. The slop will fade. Good storytelling is timeless.
Curt: Which leads us to CLOWD. You’re a judge—thank you for that. Why do you think this festival matters?
Josh: CLOWD isn’t just another AI gimmick. It’s ethically run, platform-agnostic, and hybrid in spirit. Runway’s film fest says they own your submission—how do you even own public domain AI content? CLOWD is about honoring craft, judging creatively, and providing a real stage—literally, in theaters. That elevates everything.
Curt: Where can people find you and Likeness Labs?
Josh: LinkedIn is where I try to post, though I’m terrible at it. Our site is likenesslabs.ai—we’re currently evolving it. A lot of our work is under NDA, but we’re deep in AI-hybrid content creation, Unreal Engine development, and studio-level workflows. And I’m always up for collaborating with great storytellers.
Curt: Final words?
Josh: Story is still king. The tools are changing, but the core remains the same. Creatives need to lean in, learn just enough tech, and find their tribe. Together, we can reshape how content is made, shared, and owned.
To watch Josh’s interview on YouTube, click here. To listen to it on Spotify, click here. Stay tuned for more RealmIQ Sessions, Season 3. Follow us here or on TikTok, LinkedIn, and Bluesky, and don’t forget to subscribe!
El Sailon: IMMERSE was a Success
“This workshop demystified the topic and helped me be more realistic regarding my anxiety of AI. I realized how many ways I can use AI to help me execute many of the media/story projects that I've had circulating for decades. Curt is a great & trustworthy guide for a very complex subject.” - Gay Dillingham, Producer/Director, CNS Communications.
A group of AI enthusiasts and Newbies joined at Hotel Santa Fe for a day of GenAI with lectures and demos. I appreciate them all coming from as far north as Espanola and as far south as Las Cruces. The hunger is there and we are just trying to guide and foster it. Thanks to all of our promotional partners. If you need hands on help with AI, watch out for more El Sailon’s and Workshops. https://www.realmiq.com/el-sailon
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