It’s been a controversial ride for the Russo Brother’s latest movie, as the director duo’s The Electric State finds itself at a 14% on Rotten Tomatoes despite its hype and budget. A new interview with The Times has also confirmed the use of AI in the film, albeit for voice modulation. The move has drawn some controversy online, especially given The Electric State itself touches on the topic of AI.
To quote directly, Joe Russo said that using AI for voice modulation is “something any ten-year-old could do after watching a TikTok video”, and went on to call out “finger-pointing and hyperbole because people are afraid”. His whole statement has a confusing vibe, not being clear on whether he sees the use of AI as a good thing or not. He stresses that “you can’t do mission-critical work with something that hallucinates”, but does call out those who decry the use of AI as not understanding, rather than addressing the legitimate concerns of the technology.
The Electric State had a budget of reportedly over $300 million, making it one of the most expensive films of all time. This is somewhat concerning given the film’s shockingly low critical and audience consensus, focused mainly around how the film takes its source material and seemingly wastes it on something the New York Times calls “obvious, garish and just plain dumb”. The use of AI in any capacity does seem to clash with the original illustrated novel’s theme of how technology can consume humans, so we think this may be a valid criticism.
Have you checked out The Electric State yet on Netflix? How do you feel about the use of AI in the film industry? Sound off in the comments below, and keep your eyes on FlickLuster for more movie news.
