Would you watch a film written by AI? If your answer is ‘yes’, you’re in the minority. The Prince Charles Cinema in London’s West End faced fierce criticism after scheduling a screening of The Last Screenwriter, the first just-about-feature-length film (running at 76 minutes), credited to ChatGPT 4.0.
Careful to cover their backs in their initial post on X advertising the screening (since taken down), the cinema highlighted that although tickets were for sale to the general public, it was a private hire event. This wasn’t enough for many filmmakers and filmgoers, who quickly and loudly condemned the cinema for showing it at all and argued that promoting films of this type endangers creative jobs.
X user @ChrisMoyse wasn’t just upset by an AI-scripted film being made and screened, but also expressed dismay that it was The Prince Charles Cinema, a venue that ordinarily champions new and exciting filmmakers, and screens great classics from Sing-A-Long-A Rocky Horror, to Jodorowsky’s The Holy Mountain. User @chatterboxfilm argued that “It’s not film-making, it’s film-generating”.
Director and producer Peter Luis admits that the script is written by ChatGPT, but argues that as the story is about a screenwriter trying to work with an AI assistant (with sinister consequences), he should be allowed a “pass”. Here’s the official synopsis:
Jack, a celebrated screenwriter, finds his world shaken when he encounters a cutting-edge AI scriptwriting system. Initially skeptical, he soon realises the AI not only matches his skills, but even surpasses him in empathy and understanding of human emotions. Torn between his pride and fear of obsolescence, Jack is offered a chance to write a film solely with the AI.
Not wanting to miss out on a first-class ticket on the bandwagon to banality, the director said, “It almost seems like screenwriters aren’t going to be the last to be replaced by machines, but the first!” Way to embrace being a part of the problem.
It seems that several funding bodies agree with him, with Zürcher Filmstiffung and the Swiss Federal Office for Culture listed as financial contributors to the project.
Thankfully, The Prince Charles Cinema listened to the filmmaking community and pulled the screening the next day, stating that, “Our decision is rooted in our passion for movies and listening to those who support what we do”.
When asked for comment on its creation, ChatGPT weighed in with this:
“Ultimately, I hope that this film will be a reminder that while technology can augment and improve our work, it can never replace the unique and irreplaceable qualities of human creativity.”
But then it would say that, wouldn’t it?
The film was set to screen at the cinema on June 23rd. Sad that it was canceled? Don’t worry, it’s being released, for free, online from June 27th. Check their official website for more details.
For now, it’s another day, another battle against the incoming army of our robot wannabe overlords coming for our creative industries, won.