Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, and artificial intelligence (AI) is also making its way into the world of cinema. Joe Russo, co-director of “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Endgame”, gives us a rather disturbing perspective on what the future of the “seventh art” could hold for us, and he does so with a decidedly enthusiastic air. Maybe too much.
The era of tailor-made films
According to Joe Russo, who he talked about it long with Collider magazine, in just two years artificial intelligence will be able to "create" a film from scratch. Imagine entering your home, asking your streaming platform's AI to create a romantic film with you and Marilyn Monroe as the protagonists. Let me rephrase it: with a photorealistic avatar of Marilyn Monroe (a stuff like this).
Magically, AI will generate a 90-minute film with personalized dialogue and a captivating plot. Or at least, hopefully.
The end of imagination?
I don't know about you, but to me this scenario seems like the perfect mix of suggestion and dystopia. It will probably be a "sub category", it will certainly have a market, its own charm. Everyone can be a screenwriter and director in some way, but I would say it's more of a nightmare than a dream.
Joe Russo should know this: the magic of cinema lies in putting yourself in the shoes of imaginary characters, empathizing with them and experiencing worlds far from our reality. Would it really be a step forward to turn cinema into a stage for our digital clones? It is important to remember that generative AI cannot understand context. At least not yet. And he will hardly be able to create realistic and exciting films.
Imagine talent shows that take winners and make them movie stars without even a minute of acting.
In comparison, artists who sing with autotune make classical music.
Joe Russo, you're not serious. Real?
On Twitter, many wondered how a filmmaker could enthusiastically embrace a future dominated by machine-generated content that retrospectively reproduces the art of humans.
AI will find an important role in the screenplay writing process. Sure. He will find it in the “special effects”he will find it in the dub, have no doubts. Even Joe Russo himself knows this well.
It is equally true, however, that cinema needs originality and unique stories. And for that, I think, it will take a little more than two years.
