Why one cinema is refusing to screen an AI-written film

DPA
·3 min read
An AI-scripted film has found itself banned from being screened at a London cinema. The cinema says it's worried about the use of AI instead of human writers. The director says this is exactly the debate the film was meant to provoke. Oliver Berg/dpa
An AI-scripted film has found itself banned from being screened at a London cinema. The cinema says it's worried about the use of AI instead of human writers. The director says this is exactly the debate the film was meant to provoke. Oliver Berg/dpa

Can artificial intelligence write a decent film script?

Swiss filmmaker Peter Luisi wanted to find this out and turned his AI-generated script into a film with real actors. In doing so, he wanted to spark debate about the use of AI in the film industry.

Now, he's found his film being kicked out of a London cinema where it had been due to be screened in late June. The Prince Charles Cinema in Soho got cold feet after the film's promotion was met with much criticism on social media.

"It's a shame," Luisi told dpa. "I don't think bowing to these comments is the right way to go. But I respect this."

What the film is about

"The Last Screenwriter" tells the story of a screenwriter called Jack who is shocked to discover that AI writes better scripts than he does.

"Hello Jack, I'm your new screenwriting assistant", a female voice from a glowing white smart speaker-like device says before being put to work.

"I've always believed that storytelling is an art form that cannot be replicated or replaced," the film's protagonist later says in a trailer that suggests quite the opposite is true.

Since the film was shot with real actors on real locations, the audience doesn't actually notice the use of AI.

Luisi told dpa his goal was to ignite a debate about the ways in which AI is forecast to transform the film industry, for better or for worse.

Various professions within the film industry, from soundtrack composers to digital effects producers and entire production crews, have been speculated to be at risk from increasingly powerful AI-powered software that can create scripts, footage and music.

"I'm a scriptwriter myself and I see the problem," Luisi said. "Turning a blind eye and pretending AI isn't there is not an option. The old status quo no longer exists, we now have to come to terms with how things are. Let's talk about it."

Luisi says he also doesn't know in which direction AI is going to take the film business. He says he himself is personally rather old-fashioned and prefers the old methods of storytelling.

Why the cinema backed down

"Our decision is rooted in our passion for movies and listening to those who support what we do."

Luisi says online commentators were unaware that it was a non-profit film intended to spark this very debate on a wider scale.

The use of AI in the film business was already an issue during the months-long strike in Hollywood last year. The agreement that ended the strike secured, for the first time, protection against the unregulated use of AI. Actors reached an agreement that they must expressly consent to digital imitation via AI.

Luisi now wants to show the film, shot in English, only for crew and invited guests in another cinema in London.

"The AI script is amazingly good," he says. After the cancellation of the screening, "the film's festival and cinema career died", he says.

He wants to make the film available for free on its associated website soon and is fortunate not to have to cover the film's production expenses.

Luisi had just had great success with the comedy "Bon Schuur Ticino" about the Swiss coming to terms with their linguistic diversity in Switzerland. As a result, he received funding that was enough to produce the AI screenwriter film.