'Heretic' has a unique end-credit disclaimer—it has an AI connect
What's the story
Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the directors of the new movie Heretic, have taken to the film's end credits to issue a warning about artificial intelligence (AI) in Hollywood. The message reads, "No generative AI was used in the making of this film." Despite Heretic having minimal visual effects, Woods stressed their choice to include this statement as an important conversation starter for audiences.
AI debate
Directors' stance on generative AI in film-making
Generative AI, a technology that creates images, videos, text, etc., from generative modeling when prompted, has been employed in big movies such as Furiosa and Alien: Romulus. However, Woods was worried about its application in art creation. He called generative AI "an algorithm jumbling a bunch of shit together and then spitting it out as art." "It's not human and it's borderline theft on some level," he told Variety.
Legal concerns
Woods questioned the legality of generative AI's use
Woods further questioned the legality of using generative AI for profit. He said, "I think this idea that an algorithm can just scrape all of human history and art off the internet, repackage it, regurgitate it, spit it out and somebody else can use that to create profit... I don't know why that's legal." He stressed the need for human involvement in art and business as jobs could be replaced by AI.
Studio support
Beck expressed gratitude toward A24 for supporting their stance
Beck thanked A24, the studio behind Heretic, for supporting their decision to include the message in the credits. He called A24 a studio that prioritizes artists and human interaction over algorithms. "They're a home where you feel like you're working with human beings, you're not working with algorithms, or 'How does the test score dictate the rollout of a movie?'" he said.
Industry trends
Hollywood's growing interest in AI and its implications
Beck and Woods's criticism of AI comes at a time when studios are increasingly collaborating with tech companies to tap into AI's potential. Just recently, Blumhouse teamed up with Meta to experiment with generative AI filmmaking tools, while Disney set up a group to ensure "responsible" use of AI. While Woods admitted generative AI's impressive capabilities, he warned it could threaten the very foundation of filmmaking.