19 Jan Who Decides the Stories AI Tells? Exploring the Future of Filmmaking and Creativity
Who Decides the Stories AI Tells? A Look at the Future of Filmmaking
Have you ever watched a film that gave you chills, made you cry, or left you thinking about it for days? I’m sure you have. Now, imagine this: what if that film wasn’t made by a human at all? What if it was created entirely by artificial intelligence?
The idea might seem like science fiction, but it’s quickly becoming a reality. James Cameron, the legendary filmmaker behind Avatar and The Terminator, recently joined the board of directors of
an AI company, StabilityAI. This is the same James Cameron who warned us about rogue AI destroying humanity in his 1984 classic, The Terminator.
But this time, he’s not fighting against the machines—he’s working with them. Cameron’s role will focus on how AI can revolutionize special effects and computer-generated imagery (CGI). It raises a fascinating question: could an AI help create films that are even better than Avatar? Or does this mark the beginning of a new era where creativity gets replaced by algorithms?
What Makes a Film Truly Great?
Before diving into AI’s potential, let’s take a step back: what makes a film truly great? Is it the plot, the visuals, or the emotional connection it creates? For me, great directors—like David Lynch or Christopher Nolan—are dream makers. They take their ideas, their unique visions, and bring them to life in ways that allow us to live in their worlds.
But filmmaking isn’t just about one person. It’s a collaborative effort involving writers, actors, editors, and VFX artists. Everyone in the team contributes to turning a director’s dream into reality. Could AI ever replicate that collective creative magic?
AI in Filmmaking: A Tool or a Threat?
AI is already changing the game in the creative industries. It can generate stunning visuals, write scripts, and even edit entire scenes faster than ever. Just yesterday, I worked on a concept storyboard using AI tools connected to ChatGPT and Sora. The results were fast and efficient—remarkable, really—but the consistency wasn’t quite there yet.
For those of you in the VFX or film industry, I wonder: does AI feel like a tool that opens new doors for creativity? Or does it feel like a threat, potentially replacing jobs that require so much passion and skill?
The Big Question: Who Controls AI’s Stories?
Let’s take this one step further: who decides the stories AI tells? If AI is trained on data from existing films and scripts, does it risk turning creativity into something formulaic?
What happens when AI starts making decisions? Could it ask us, “What kind of story do you want to see?” And if it does, who ultimately controls those decisions—individual creators, corporations, or the algorithms themselves?
AI and Ownership: Who Owns the Output?
Ownership is another key question. If AI generates a film or script, who owns it? Is it the person who provided the prompt? The company that built the AI model? Or is it no one at all? And what happens when neural network inversion technology improves, allowing us to trace every clip or image used in an AI-generated film?
Imagine finding out that 70% of your AI-generated film was stitched together from copyrighted content owned by companies like Disney, Sony Pictures, or Lionsgate. Could this lead to endless lawsuits—or would it force creators to think more carefully about how they use AI?
Can AI Capture Emotion?
There’s also the question of whether AI can truly replicate human emotion. AI doesn’t feel—it doesn’t cry when the protagonist dies or laugh at a perfectly timed joke. It learns patterns and recreates them.
Lately, I’ve noticed that even some human-made films feel formulaic, almost like they were created by an algorithm. So, could AI make films that genuinely move us, or will it just give us a more polished version of what we already have?
(image created by Midjouney)
The Future of Creativity
The future of AI in filmmaking is both exciting and uncertain. It has the potential to democratize creativity, allowing anyone with an idea to make a film or game. But it also raises concerns about who controls the technology and whether it will ultimately limit originality.
Here’s where I’d love to hear from you:
- Do you think AI can create films that are as emotionally powerful as human-made ones?
- Should AI be seen as a tool to enhance creativity, or does it pose a risk to originality?
- Who should decide the stories AI tells, and who owns the output?
Let’s Talk About It
I want to make this space a hub for meaningful discussions about the intersection of art and technology. I’ll be posting questions from this blog in the comments section—please share your thoughts and reply to others. Together, we can explore what the future of storytelling might look like.
So, my friend, what do you think? Can AI ever truly become a dream maker, or will storytelling always need the human touch? Let’s dig into this together.