The Australian horror-comedy film ‘Late Night With The Devil,’ directed by brothers Cameron and Colin Cairnes, recently came under scrutiny on the Letterboxd platform for allegedly incorporating AI-generated art in its content. The 1970s-set film revolves around a talk show host who chooses not to turn off the camera during a frightful broadcast.
The controversy initiated from a user named ‘basedgizmo’ on Letterboxd. In their review, they pointed out the use of AI in the cutaways and network messages in the film, which hindered their enjoyment of the excellent performances and creative ending. They felt it was insulting and seemed to indicate a lack of concern from the filmmakers. The user’s post received almost 5,000 likes and was supported by other users sharing the same sentiment. ‘CinemaJoe,’ another user on the platform, asked where the limit was, suggesting that accepting AI now is an endorsement of an undesirable AI-filled future.
In response to these accusations, the Cairnes brothers confirmed to Variety that they had used a minimum of AI-generated art in the movie for experimental purposes. They stated that along with their production and graphics design team, they used AI for three still images, which were edited further and included briefly in the film as interstitials.
Criticism against ‘Late Night With The Devil’ overflowed from Letterboxd onto other platforms. Various fans and artists started criticising the movie online. Sarah Summer Ray, a voiceover actress and illustrator, claimed that she managed to replicate one of the AI artworks utilised in the movie. Several other claims were made, suggesting that artists would avoid the movie due to its AI art use.
The film’s AI controversy emerges in an industry already facing criticism for the use of generative AI. Previous Hollywood productions, including ‘Loki Season 2’ and ‘Fallout,’ also suffered backlash for allegedly using AI-generated content in their promotional material.
Despite the controversy, ‘Late Night With The Devil’ will be screened in Australian cinemas from April 11, 2024.
