The generative AI epidemic
Like many movie fans, I spend a lot of my free time in October watching as many horror movies as I can. Every year, I try to watch films I have not seen before, but I also save a few favorites to watch again around Halloween. One of them is the 2023 film “Late Night With the Devil,” directed by the Cairnes brothers.
For those who do not know the film, it offers a different take on the found-footage horror style. The story centers on a recovered master tape of the final episode of Jack Delroy’s late-night show, “Night Owls.” The episode shows how he called upon the devil during the show’s 1977 Halloween special.
“Late Night With the Devil” is great for many reasons. It has strong acting, amazing visual effects, and a unique look, all thanks to its art direction.
The film also used generative artificial intelligence.
I hope reading that made you feel disappointed. I felt the same way when I found out. Do not worry.
During the film, there are a few short clips made to look like real parts of the “Night Owls” show, with graphics shown alongside them. Those graphics were made using generative AI.
It is truly upsetting. After the film came out in theaters in early 2024, many viewers strongly criticized it for using artificial intelligence.
This shows how much using AI in the creative process can damage a project’s reputation. Its use did not just make the studios involved or the directors who approved the choices look bad. The discussion about AI also completely overshadows the good parts of the film.
The film used AI for less than thirty seconds, but those thirty seconds get far more attention than the creative work of the dozens of crew members involved. These people worked as writers, editors, costume designers, audio managers, camera operators, production designers, set dressers, and in many other roles.
I believe the hard work of so many people should not be so easily ignored. But I have found that it is almost impossible to talk about this film without mentioning its use of AI, even more than two years later.
Every time I show this film to someone who has not seen it, I have to warn them about the AI and explain that I do not support its use. I hate having to do this. All of this could have been avoided if any of the studios behind “Late Night With the Devil” had paid a real artist to create those graphics.
I think this situation gave us an early, worrying sign of just how much artificial intelligence is now being used in creative work.
It is honestly a little scary to see how advanced generative AI has become over the past few years. AI-generated images and artwork now look much more realistic and more like things made by humans.
I like to think that most members of Gen Z, myself included, have become pretty good at spotting what was made by AI and what was not. But even we sometimes get it wrong.
There have been times when I found a piece of artwork or a photo I liked on Instagram or Twitter and saved it, only to discover later that AI had made it. That leaves me feeling upset and ruins my day.
It is hard to explain just how much I dislike generative AI. AI tools are so easy to access today that many of us feel we must keep checking and questioning what we see online. Before sharing photos, videos, music, or other creative work with others, we have to make sure it was genuinely made by a human.
What I find hard to understand is why the film industry keeps insisting on using AI. At its heart, this feels like companies interfering with the creative process. Many ordinary moviegoers seem to share my views, as shown by online discussions and reviews.
Recently, the live-action “Street Fighter” film faced strong criticism for scenes that made heavy use of AI. The film also lists an AI Supervisor in its credits. This suggests that studio executives still have not learned from the growing criticism of AI use in creative industries.
I honestly do not know what the next few years will bring for the filmmaking industry. Artificial intelligence is advancing quickly and playing a bigger role in creative work, and this makes me feel deeply uneasy.
Humans have been making films for nearly one hundred and forty years, and I see no reason to start giving up creative control now. Filmmaking is an art form, and I strongly believe that people should continue to make the creative decisions.