The use of AI is rising and with AI-powered film creation websites now in the zeitgeist, it won’t be long before AI films become mainstream. So what is your view?
Richard Osman recently said on his The Rest is Entertainment podcast that AI films are going to come and replace human-made films, the latter potentially becoming a premium in the future. In the episode titled “Mushroom Murders: True Crime Wars”, the hosts Osman and journalist Marina Hyde explore what AI film could mean for the industry, both stating that AI film would definitely be on the rise, especially with AI music already starting to take off in front of our very eyes.
My opinion on all of this is that, while it will be easier for amateur film-makers to create films at home with no budget, it will take away from the dedication that people in the film industry have committed to create their personalised works of art. Around 4,000 people are involved in the making of a Marvel or Star Wars film, and the impact AI would have on their jobs would be devastating. AI films are definitely going to rise, yet I don’t think it will stick around, especially with the harsh environment of films being approved by the people.
I personally would not watch any AI films, mainly because I don’t like how reliant the world as a whole is becoming on AI. This is an opinion seemingly shared by a lot of people, particularly those who are huge lovers of films. It is becoming a problem because ChatGPT, a form of AI, uses up so much energy it could power eight million phones, claims Business Energy UK, and this damages the environment, draining scarce resources like water. Another issue for AI is that if the audience finds out about it, while they may find it interesting as a concept, it won’t be able to keep the attention span of people, who are used to finding everything they need on their phones. Thus, the idea of AI films is not very exciting for me. I will admit that it can be useful, it could aid in making storyboards and organising shoot days, but the negatives massively override any positive uses.
The film industry is already struggling with cinema attendance figures already on the decline, unless it is a blockbuster that is part of a franchise of course. Unfortunately, with streaming effectively ending the age of cinema goers, I think AI films would help the film industry realise they’re in a hole that they need to get out of. AI has already shown it is a problem in the industry, with the 2023 SAG-AFRA strikes, which lasted 118 days. As a result of the strikes, AI safeguards were put in place, banning actors’ likeness being used without their consent. A similar guarantee was given to the writers after the WAG strikes in 2023, preventing AI being used to replace writers or reduce pay and benefits. These protections help the film industry from being completely taken over by AI, but doesn’t protect them from entirely independent AI films which could outweigh human-made films altogether.
Another issue of AI films is how much of the world depends on the film industry, with grants and tax breaks to entice production companies into filming in countries like Australia, Canada and Spain. Without a functioning film industry, the governments of the world would have to work together, since the film industry made about $79.22 billion in 2024 from the global film industry, according to STARBURST Magazine, while the WIPO highlighted that there has been a decline in global box of revenue by 8% from 2023. All of these statistics reveal how crucial the film industry is to the world economy.
Creativity-wise, this technology cannot replace the human connection that will always draw the audience to human-made films, a point highlighted by the aforementioned Osman. Overall, I think that AI films won’t be a threat to the film industry. As is the case with everything in this ever-evolving world though, you can never be sure.
Words by Shivasri Kathiresan
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