Marvel’s Universal series Secret Invasion was created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), its director has admitted, sparking controversy in Hollywood amid a strike by screenwriters worried about the disruptive potential of AI for their industry, AFP reported.

In the new series, the spy Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson, fights against a conspiracy organized by the “Skrulls”, aliens who can change their appearance.

Generic takes inspiration from this theme by painting the characters in watercolor in motion, giving the various characters’ faces an unstable, sometimes unsettling quality.

That’s exactly what director Ali Selim wanted, who turned to Method Studios, a company specializing in artificial intelligence, to create the credits.

This imaginary “straight from the world of a Skrull shape-shifter” was part of the order “when we contacted the AI ​​company”, he explained in an interview published on Wednesday by the specialist website Polygon.

“inevitable” process

The director admitted that he was fascinated by the ability of artificial intelligence to convey the sense of unease that permeates the series.

“I would talk to them about ideas, themes and words, and then the computer would start to act and do something. Then we could change it a little with words and it changed,” he said.

For him, this process “seemed exploratory and inevitable, exciting and different.”

However, these statements were not accepted in Hollywood, where the screenwriters have been on strike for almost two months. Even if the fight with the studios revolves mainly around salary issues, the future role of artificial intelligence in the creative process is also an important topic of discussion.

AI destroys creativity

Several artists condemned the experiment on social networks.

“I believe AI is unethical, dangerous, and designed solely to destroy artists’ careers,” tweeted Jeff Simpson, who worked on the show with the visual design team.

“I’m very concerned about the impact this will have,” he added.

The process chosen by Marvel adds “salt to the wounds of all the artists and writers involved in the strike,” also reacted John Lam, the writer of storyboards.

Negotiations between the studios and the powerful WGA screenwriters union have now reached an impasse. The organization wants to limit the use of artificial intelligence so that anything created by a computer or robot cannot be considered “literary” or “source” material, key terms that involve copyright payments.

However, the requests have been rejected by studios and platforms that offer an annual meeting to “discuss technological advances”. (Agerpres)