As capitalist forces largely steer advancements in artificial intelligence, Alex Proyas perceives the integration of AI in filmmaking as a pathway to artistic freedom.

While numerous individuals in the film industry view the rise of AI as a threat to their jobs, incomes, and likenesses, Australian filmmakers, including Proyas, embrace the technology as a means to simplify and reduce costs associated with projects.

“The model for filmmakers, the only person I truly care about at the end of the day, is broken… and it’s not AI that’s causing it,” Proyas states to the Guardian.

“It’s the industry, it’s streaming.”

He mentions that the filmmakers he once depended on are dwindling in the streaming era, with the remaining ones working on tighter budgets for projects.

“We need to reconstruct it from the ground up. We believe that AI will assist us in doing that because as it continually lowers production costs, we can retain more ownership of our projects,” he remarks.

Proyas’s upcoming film, Rur, narrates the tale of a woman attempting to liberate her robots from capitalist oppression within an island factory. Based on a satirical play from 1920, the film features Samantha Orle, Lindsay Faris, and Anthony Laparia, having begun filming in October of the previous year.

The Heresy Foundation, one of Proyas’s ventures, was established in 2020 in Alexandria, Sydney. I detailed that at the time as a comprehensive production house for films. He claims that Rur can be produced for a fraction of the US$100 million budget typical of traditional studios.

This cost-effectiveness is due to the capability of carrying out much of the work directly in the studio via virtual production in collaboration with Technology Giant Dell, which supplies workstations to facilitate real-time generation of AI assets during film creation.

Proyas asserts that production durations for environmental designs can be shortened from six months to eight weeks.

His 2004 film, I, Robot, was produced during a time when AI was reasonably established in science fiction, yet depicted a world in 2035. When questioned about his concerns regarding AI’s implications in film production, especially in visual effects, Proyas responds, “The workforce is streamlined,” yet believes retraining is possible.

“I believe there’s a role for everyone who embraces technology and pushes it forward, just as we’ve done throughout the film industry,” he comments.

The Guardian interviewed Proyas during the same week when the Australian Productivity Committee was discharged from the creative sector to spark discussions on whether AI companies should have unrestricted access to everyone’s creative works for model training.

Proyas argues that in the “analog world,” there is no need for AI to plagiarize.

“I think of AI as ‘enhancing intelligence’ rather than artificial intelligence. It aids in streamlining processes, promoting efficiency, and enhancing productivity,” he explains.

“A human team will always be necessary. We view AI as one of our collaborative partners.”

Amidst a plethora of AI-generated content online, Proyas reveals that he has spent years honing his skills to achieve the desired outcomes from AI, striving to refine its output until he is content with it.

“My role as a director, creator, and visual artist hasn’t changed at all. I’m now collaborating with a smaller team of humans, with AI as my co-collaborator to realize my vision. And I am clear about what that vision is,” he states.

“I don’t just sit at my computer asking for ‘Funny cat videos, please.’ I am very precise.”