A24’s movie, Civil War, topped the box office charts last weekend, and its marketing stirred up some controversy. The film’s Instagram ads showcase famous American landmarks destroyed by the war depicted in the movie. However, fans who’ve seen the film will notice that these scenes of destruction aren’t in the actual movie.
Upon closer examination, the mistakes in these images reveal they were made using AI. For instance, the Marina Towers are incorrectly placed, a wrecked car in Miami has three doors, and a scene with armed soldiers features a massive swan instead of a small paddleboat.
What other debates have sparked because of AI?
A source clarified that these images aren’t movie posters but AI-generated visuals inspired by the film’s “what if” premise. They aim to provide a dystopian realism, continuing the movie’s theme on social media.
The use of AI in creating images and text has been a topic of debate in the creative world. Both the WAG and SAG-AFTRA strikes last year addressed this issue, resulting in new contract terms limiting studios’ use of AI.
Yet, controversies still arise when AI is visibly used in creative projects. For example, Marvel’s Secret Invasion series and the horror film Late Night With the Devil faced criticism for their AI-generated content.
Interestingly, the use of AI in Civil War aligns with director Alex Garland’s previous work, ‘Ex Machina,’ which explored a machine’s ability to mimic human behavior.
