I know Michael Cioni. If you’re not aware of who he is, do a search. Among his many talents, he’s an entrepreneur, artist and most important, one of the leading technologists of our time. I can’t recall a single thing he’s observed about image creation that hasn’t come to pass.
Below, you’ll find his take on artificial intelligence and its implications for the future of filmmaking. It’s brief, but it shows the most informed, cogent and prophetic statements I’ve seen to date.
At the least, his predictions are unsettling. Some might call them terrifying. I’d just say – they’re coming!
Vittorio Storaro, ASC, AIC once proclaimed, “You can speed up or slow down progress, but you can’t stop it.” Right now, cinematographers are being crushed between the teeth of this dilemma – and most aren’t even aware of it.
Yet, I’m optimistic. That doesn’t mean I’m keeping my head in the sand. I always look for the bright spots in every situation.
Sometimes, life forces you in directions you’re loathe to follow. Many of us made it through the film-to-digital transition of the early 2000’s – which was the biggest upheaval the industry had ever seen. And, against all odds, we found a better world than the one we left behind. That’s because progress in cinematography has never been about the technology we use. It’s about finding more creative and practical ways to express what’s in our souls.
But AI represents something different…and more intimidating.
It would be ignorant to deny that the essence of what we do might soon be swept aside like a used Kleenex. But maybe…just maybe…we’ll find what replaces it is precisely what we’ve been looking for since the beginning.
I can’t urge you strongly enough to access this link and read what follows.
Yossy Mendelovich’s August 14, 2023 www.ymcinema.com article, The ‘Inevitable’ Future of AI Filmmaking:
I think it will be sad, but many positions in the film industry will disappear.
In the end all you’ll need will be a content creator that knows how to talk creatively to a robot and together they will create any movie, rack any focus, set any lights, place any scenery and props and so on.
It will be the beginning of a beautiful digital friendship.
AI and Art, just my opinion:
Art crafted by human beings will always have value to human beings.
Yes, AI can generate imagery, text, music, dimensional objects, and more based on previous data it has consumed. Humans will still desire and value an original painting painted by a human, a photograph captured in real life, an original performance brought to life by an actor, a sculpture crafted by human hands.
The wonder and appreciation is in the realization that we as human beings can create and be moved by our own artistry and originality. Even a forged copy of a painting crafted by a human being holds a sense of appreciation. Even derivative art made by humans evokes destain. Both examples allow serendipity and original variation. In any case, AI generated imagery holds no emotional value, once the novelty wears off, who will care? After the prompts and scrapers are worn out where will the new and original art come from?
AI will be used to replace human craft and artistry with imitation and emulation where economics are the most important factor. This will drastically change the media landscape and industry as we know it. Positive benefits will come, AI in support of human artists, AI to solve technical limitations, AI to feed content to endless screens.
However, the original artistry and craft of human beings will always be in demand. Perhaps it will become more rarefied and hold a higher place in our culture and economy, as it should.
Will there be movies made 100% with AI, certainly yes. Will all movies be manufactured with AI, I hope not. I hope that humans will still desire original craft and artistry of human filmmakers. I feel that AI will prompt a race to the bottom until it becomes so cheap and ubiquitous that artistry can truly shine once again.
Chris – You are correct on all accounts. My point is that this tech is coming and it’s going to affect everyone at every level. This morning I heard a song created using AI that featured John Lennon’s voice. It was instantly distinguishable – as CRAP. It sounded like him (sort of) but there was no humanity in it, especially when compared to the real John Lennon song the DJ followed up with. This will inevitably improve. But yes, the human touch will never go out of style…
Thanks, Richard.
Reading the article, I couldn’t help but realize that it appeared to be written
by AI.