June 22nd 2024.
Next on the agenda is the Swiss screenwriter and director Peter Luisi, who has been receiving criticism for his involvement in The Last Screenwriter - the world's first-ever movie written entirely by an AI. The film, which was set to have its premiere at the Leicester Square's Prince Charles Cinema, was cancelled due to backlash, causing Luisi to reveal the true intentions behind his experimental project.
During a Zoom interview with The Agency, Luisi expressed his initial hope that the AI-written screenplay would not turn out to be as good as it did. Having already written 11 feature films, including a co-writer credit on Switzerland's 2007 Oscar submission Vitus, Luisi took on the challenge of creating an all-British cast and entrusting the writing duties to Chat GPT 4.0.
The 76-minute feature follows the story of award-winning screenwriter Jack, who finds himself struggling with his diminishing writing skills in the face of an AI system. As the AI surpasses his abilities, Jack spirals into a self-destructive cycle of fear and obsolescence.
Initially, the Prince Charles Cinema, known for showcasing cult and indie films, was set to host the world premiere of The Last Screenwriter on Sunday. However, after announcing the event on social media, the cinema faced backlash for "promoting AI cinema" and eventually cancelled the screening.
In a public statement posted on social media, the West End cinema explained that they agreed to screen the film as a means to engage in a discussion about AI and its potential negative impact on the arts.
Luisi maintains that his intention was not to promote AI-written movies, but rather to spark a dialogue among writers during the Q&A session that was supposed to follow the screening.
"I always believed that I could write movies and never be out of a job. But with the fear of AI replacing writers, I started to wonder if tomorrow I won't have a job. And if AI is indeed so advanced, I wanted to put it to the test," Luisi shared.
He prompted the OpenAI chatbot to write a movie about a writer realizing their inferiority to artificial intelligence, and the result was a complete screenplay with detailed plotlines and character arcs that required minimal editing from Luisi.
The Last Screenwriter stars Nicholas Pope and was marketed as "the first film written entirely by AI." Ironically, the film's plot revolves around a screenwriter who begins collaborating with an AI screenwriting assistant.
When asked about his thoughts on films written by AI, Luisi believes that such experiments, like The Last Screenwriter, can address the concerns about AI replacing screenwriters. "Everybody was talking about how AI is going to replace writers, so we did it. We replaced the writer. Now, let's look at the result and have a conversation about it. Through this movie, I hope to highlight the need for rules and protection for writers against AI," he stated.
Despite the cancellation of the premiere, Luisi's ultimate goal was to make The Last Screenwriter available for free online. He is still considering a theatrical release for his cast and crew, but the official release on the film's website has been pushed back due to the recent events.
As for the film's funding, Luisi is grateful for the success of his previous film, Bonjour Switzerland, which prompted the Swiss government to grant him £750,000 for his next project. He playfully admits that while this amount may not be enough to buy a house, it was sufficient for him to take on an unconventional project like The Last Screenwriter.
The director clarifies that apart from the writing process, everything else about the movie was "human," including the cast, the crew, and himself as the director.
However, the film's controversial theme and use of AI have sparked harsh reactions, as seen in the comments under the Prince Charles Cinema's announcement of the premiere. On the other hand, after the cancellation, many have praised the cinema for their decision, with some even calling it their favorite in London.
Yet, as Luisi points out, some have also found the boycott to be unnecessary. As a user on X, @HelmutBuergmann, commented, "It's an unfortunate knee-jerk reaction by the commentators. This non-profit indie film addresses and incorporates the very thing they are worried about, yet their reaction is to cancel it?"
Another user on X, @James_E_Morton, added, "It seems like it would have been a thought-provoking film that could have sparked the dialogue that AI's critics want to have."
Luisi himself is disappointed that his project has been misinterpreted and misunderstood. He believes that most people who reacted negatively on social media do not know enough about the project and only hear the term "AI" and assume the worst. He hopes that with further understanding of the film's context and purpose, more people would be open to discussing the topic.
The Last Screenwriter is just one of the controversial projects that have utilized AI since the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. Other films, such as the supernatural horror Late Night with The Devil and Alex Garland's A24 hit Civil War, have also faced criticism for their use of AI.
The use of AI in the film industry has also been a topic of discussion in festivals like Cannes, where concerns were raised by the subtitling and dubbing industry, and the Annecy Animation Festival, where the AI-generated music video Etoile Filante was met with boos and taunts.
Reflecting on these controversies, Luisi acknowledges that AI can have a negative impact on various industries, such as graphic design, subtitling, and advertising. However, he believes that simply fearing the technology is not enough.
"I understand the fear of AI, and I share it, but we have to live with it and not ignore it," Luisi concludes.
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