Did Late Night With The Devil Use AI-Generated Imagery? Controversy Explored As Directors Provide Clarification
Discover the controversy surrounding Late Night With The Devil's alleged use of AI-generated imagery, as directors provide clarification amidst public scrutiny.
Late Night with the Devil, a film garnering both critical praise and online scrutiny, finds itself embroiled in controversy over its purported use of AI-generated imagery. Starring David Dastmalchian as a late-night TV host navigating a Halloween special gone awry, the movie's incorporation of AI-generated visuals has become the center of public criticism.
Does Late Night With The Devil include AI-generated imagery?
The debate surrounding Late Night with the Devil's use of AI imagery initially ignited on 19 March with a scathing one-star review on Letterboxd by user-based gizmo. The reviewer expressed concern over the pervasive presence of AI in the film, cautioning against the normalization of such technology in entertainment. The contentious AI-generated images featured in the film serve as interstitials within its fictional live TV broadcast. These include illustrations such as a dancing skeleton amidst a pumpkin patch and occasional "We'll be right back" messages.
The comment stated, as retrieved via Letterboxd, “Listen. There’s AI all over this in the cutaways and “we’ll be right back” network messages. For this reason, I can’t enjoy the amazing performances and clever ending. It actually feels insulting when that skeleton message shows up repeatedly like the filmmakers don’t give a shit and want to let you know that you’ll accept blatant AI in your 70s period piece. Don’t let this be the start of accepting this shit in your entertainment.” The reviewer further added by making an edit, remarking, “It really does suck being the only one ready to complain about this. Be more mad if movies are your passion.”
Subsequently, users across social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), began dissecting the film's trailer, highlighting instances of AI-generated visuals interspersed throughout the narrative.
Late Night With the Devil Directors clarified the use of AI in their film
In a statement provided to Variety, the directors of Late Night With the Devil, Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes, addressed the controversy, shedding light on their creative process. The Cairnes brothers acknowledged collaborating with their graphics and production design team to achieve the desired 70s aesthetic for the film. Additionally, they revealed experimenting with AI for three specific still images, which were then further edited and incorporated as brief interstitials.
Their statement read as follows, “In conjunction with our amazing graphics and production design team, all of whom worked tirelessly to give this film the 70s aesthetic we had always imagined, we experimented with AI for three still images which we edited further and ultimately appear as very brief interstitials in the film. We feel incredibly fortunate to have had such a talented and passionate cast, crew and producing team go above and beyond to help bring this film to life. We can’t wait for everyone to see it for themselves this weekend.”
The controversy surrounding Late Night with the Devil's AI usage reflects broader concerns within the film industry regarding the integration of artificial intelligence into creative processes. Late Night with the Devil was released in theaters on 22 March 2024.
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