The horror comedy film, Late Night With The Devil has been accused of using AI-generated art, sparking an online backlash from movie enthusiasts on the film review site, Letterboxd. Initially, the film gathered praises from critics at SXSW 2023 for its unique storyline and performances. The movie, helmed by the Cairnes brothers from Australia, is a 70s period drama about a talk show host who decides to continue filming a haunting broadcast.
A Letterboxd user named basedgizmo sparked the controversy about the film’s alleged use of AI, writing, “There’s AI all over this…For this reason, I can’t enjoy the amazing performances and clever ending.” Furthermore, the user remarked that the frequent appearance of a skeleton message felt insulting and demonstrated blatant disregard for the audience’s opinion. The comment quickly received around 5,000 likes, with many others expressing similar concerns. Another user, CinemaJoe, questioned the acceptance of AI in films, stressing that such complacency paves the way for a bleak future.
Responding to these allegations, the film’s directors, Cameron and Colin Cairnes, admitted in a statement to Variety that they did use AI in the film, but only on a limited basis and with the intent to experiment. They revealed that AI was used for three still images, which were further edited to be used as brief interstitials in the movie. The brothers praised their production team’s efforts in creating the 70s aesthetic for the film and expressed excitement for the upcoming release.
Nevertheless, the controversy soon escalated to other platforms, with even more fans and artists criticizing the movie. Voiceover actress Sarah Summer Ray posted a recreation of one of the AI artworks used in the film, expressing her disappointment at the missed chance for artists to contribute. This sentiment was echoed by another illustrator on X, who claimed that by using AI, the film has lost a significant number of potential viewers from the creative sector. Notably, prominent visual artist Adam Ellis also joined the protest by cancelling his ticket to the film.
The backlash indicates the ongoing debate about the use of generative AI in Hollywood as several productions have been criticised for using AI-generated content for promotional purposes. Despite the controversy, Late Night With The Devil is set to be released in Australia on April 11, 2024.
