Maggie Gyllenhaal tried using AI, but didn't like the results
What's the story
Maggie Gyllenhaal, the jury president at the Venice Film Festival, recently revealed that she attempted to use artificial intelligence (AI) in filmmaking. She tried to transform Dakota Johnson into a young Marilyn Monroe for her short film Flesh Impact. However, she eventually decided against it as it took away from Johnson's performance. The film features a 100-year-old Monroe with flashbacks of her in her 30s, played by Johnson.
AI attempt
This is what Gyllenhaal said about the AI experiment
During a symposium, Gyllenhaal explained that the project commissioners had asked her to use AI. She complied and used licensable AI trained on licensed Monroe films.
"The idea was that we trained it on her, we then put her face on Dakota's face," she said. However, she later scrapped the idea as "what was coming through Dakota playing Marilyn Monroe was so much more moving, human, alive."
"It fundamentally did not work."
Environmental impact
She also highlighted the environmental issues posed by AI
Apart from the creative limitations, Gyllenhaal also highlighted the "huge environmental issues" posed by AI. She referred to the conversation in South Memphis about data centers, which she called a problem.
"In America anyway, there's a big conversation in South Memphis about the data centers," she said.
She also quoted Geoffrey Hinton, a pioneering computer scientist known as the "Godfather of AI," who suggested programming AI with a maternal instinct.
Financial concerns
Financial implications of AI on filmmaking
Gyllenhaal voiced her skepticism about the financial benefits of AI for filmmakers.
She found the argument that AI could "democratize" filmmaking unconvincing as it comes from those behind AI software.
"It concerns me a little bit because they own it. Who's making the money off it? The people that are pitching that," she joked, eliciting applause from the audience.
Future risks
If AI can make a movie, why invest in it?
Gyllenhaal warned that filmmakers and talent could lose out if AI is used more in commercial movies.
She recalled being told that soon "$40 million will now be able to cost $4 million if you do it with AI... and maybe even eventually $40,000."
However, she was concerned that if a commercial movie can be made for less money using AI, no one would invest in traditional filmmaking methods.