Goa: At the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), a thought-provoking panel discussion titled “Will Artificial Intelligence Alter Filmmaking Forever?” was held at the Kala Academy, shedding light on the transformative potential of AI in the cinematic world.
The session featured filmmaker and entrepreneur Anand Gandhi, Pragya Misra, Head of Public Policy and Partnerships at OpenAI, and was moderated by acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.
Opening the discussion, Kapur emphasized that the world is still unraveling the complexities of Artificial Intelligence. “Nobody knows what AI is; we are still in the process of discovering various AI terms like Machine Learning and Deep Learning,” he said. Addressing the common fears about AI replacing jobs, Kapur shared a personal anecdote: his housemaid surprised him by generating an impressive script for a sequel to Mr. India using AI. He likened AI’s integration to the advent of tractors in farming, which enhanced productivity rather than eliminating human involvement.
Kapur also highlighted how technology, like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), has revolutionized daily life, suggesting that AI should similarly be viewed as a tool to augment human creativity.
Pragya Misra captivated the audience with a demonstration of SORA, an advanced AI model capable of generating realistic videos from textual prompts. Explaining its potential, she noted how SORA captures intricate details such as human expressions and cultural nuances, enabling creators to bring their visions to life.
Misra also addressed ethical concerns, ensuring that SORA restricts the use of public figures’ faces to avoid issues like misinformation and hate speech. She underscored AI’s role as a democratizing force in creativity, enabling artists and filmmakers to access global platforms with unprecedented ease.
Anand Gandhi, known for his innovative filmmaking, predicted that AI would soon become a vital co-author in the creative process. Highlighting AI’s capability to recreate ancient scriptures and assist with funding pitches, he emphasized its transformative potential to elevate global storytelling.
When questioned about AI’s impact on human creativity, Kapur asserted that human imagination, driven by emotions like love, fear, and uncertainty, remains unmatched. “If we stop thinking and outsource everything to AI, that is a human problem, not AI’s,” he remarked.
Misra framed AI as a tool that complements human ingenuity. “I can ideate and better express myself using AI,” she said, emphasizing its role in amplifying creative expression. She highlighted that even with identical prompts, AI produces unique outputs each time, mirroring the diversity of human interpretations.
The session concluded with a consensus among the panelists: while AI has the potential to revolutionize filmmaking by enhancing efficiency and accessibility, the core of creativity remains firmly rooted in human imagination. As Kapur aptly noted, “AI will enhance filmmaking, but it will never replace the magic of the human mind.”
The discussion left audiences contemplating the evolving interplay between technology and creativity, marking a pivotal moment in the dialogue on AI’s role in the arts.