AI vs. Artistry: The Film Industry's High-Stakes Showdown

In recent years, AI has been all the buzz. With the rapid development and penetration in all conventional sectors, it's no surprise that creative industries will be touched by artificial intelligence. In March 2025, over 400 American entertainment figures including- Ava Duvernay, Mark Ruffalo and Natasha Leonne- signed an open letter opposing the weakened copyright laws for AI training. The letter openly condemned Google and Open AI for their campaign to drop protection.

This came after SAG-AFTRA's 2024 strike, in which performers obtained safeguards against AI reproductions. The state of California had also approved legislation demanding approval for digital reproductions of live or deceased entertainers.  However, political splits emerged: Vice President JD Vance warned against "excessive regulation" that would stifle AI progress, whereas President Trump favoured private-sector AI investment over Biden-era safeguards.

A month earlier in February of 2025, there was a similar event in the UK when UK government’s AI and Copyright Consultation were met with intense backlash on their motion to permit tech firms to train AI models on copyrighted films without the creator’s consent unless they opted out. Numerous UK leading figures including- Paul McCartney, Barbara Broccoli, Ed Sheeran, Stephen Fry among others signed a letter to the Times. The letter stated: “The proposal is wholly unnecessary and counterproductive, jeopardising not only the country’s international position as a beacon of creativity but also the resulting jobs, economic contribution and soft power - and especially harming new and young artists who represent our nation’s future.”

The Directors UK critiqued  the opt out model as it forced creators to proactively assert their rights or lose them. In the previous year, London’s Prince Charles Cinema cancelled the viewing of ‘The Last Screenwriter’ a ChatGPT-scripted Film after massive negative public reaction. The move to cancel the partnership showcased the increasing worries amongst creatives in relation to AI's role in creative industries and how it may replace creative professionals. Creators have had an extended battle as they express that AI undermines their creative effort. The current events are sparking an AI debate emphasising the dangers and fears of automation replacing human creativity.

Notwithstanding the criticism, proponents respond that AI can supplement, not replace, human creativity. Despite critiquing UK policies, Benjamin Field acknowledged the possibilities of AI: “AI-driven productions demonstrate how technology can be harnessed ethically to enhance storytelling, unlock new creative possibilities, and breathe life into legacy archives.”

AI was part of the visualization process in both The Lion King (2019) and Dune (2021), producing hyper-realistic CGI animals as well as fully realised environments. This reduced the rendering time associated with high-quality visuals. While these films relied heavily on human creators and technical staff to render the final products, industry-standard visual effects enabled this innovation. It is possible to also discuss AI in the context of projects like Bandersnatch (Netflix - 2018) to "personalise" stories through audience choice or interactivity.

Partially like video games, viewing becomes an interactive experience during Bandersnatch, which draws on a similar aesthetic as cinema, although choice is not the purpose of cinema. Mixed methodologies like these, expand the idea of visual storytelling rather than replace it. This amplifies the intention of art/creativity through quick access. The way forward seems to be extending the art components of visual storytelling beyond "replacing" future work in other industries, in favour of creativity, like fan-made films, for instance. AI serves a significant role as something other than "replacement".

The use of AI in the creative industry is indeed a slippery slope, with major concerns about dangerous biases, incorrect stereotypes, and the lack of proper laws and regulations. This uncharted territory raises numerous ethical uncertainties. There are many questions to be asked, such as who takes the credit for AI-generated works and how to ensure fair compensation for human creators?

The debates in 2024-2025 expose a fracture: both the creative sectors of the US and the UK are apprehensive about being exploited by Big Tech, but both recognise AI's possibilities. So, the way forward depends on developing policies that work to preserve the integrity of intellectual property without suppressing creativity. As the Pact for the UK summarised:

“A framework supporting licensing of copyright content for AI training is the best way for the UK to share in the opportunity created by AI.”

The task at hand is to ensure that AI is used collaboratively, enhancing rather than diminishing human creativity. We hope to see more favourable policies in the future that encourage, rather than stifle, creativity. As the creative industry navigates these challenges, it is crucial to develop robust ethical guidelines and regulatory frameworks to protect the rights of human artists and ensure that AI is used responsibly. This ongoing dialogue will help shape a future where technology and human creativity can coexist harmoniously.