The artistic director of the Venice Film Festival highlighted the creative possibilities of artificial intelligence (AI) ahead of the event’s premiere of a documentary produced entirely using the technology. Alberto Barbera, speaking on the eve of the festival held on the Venice Lido, acknowledged both the risks and advantages presented by AI, which has sparked both alarm and enthusiasm across various industries.
Barbera noted that much of the current discourse surrounding AI is driven by fears about its negative impact on society, professional fields, copyright issues, and the portrayal of artists. He emphasized the importance of not only understanding how to regulate this powerful tool but also exploring how to harness its "extraordinary potential" to enable artistic innovation.
The festival’s lineup includes “Be Brave,” an Italian documentary directed by Francesco Carrozzini and created entirely with AI. The film focuses on Renzo Rosso, the founder of the Diesel jeans brand. Barbera described the project as “a very interesting experience,” marking a significant development in filmmaking techniques.
Carrozzini explained in the film’s notes that the use of AI was fitting given the subject matter, stating that the documentary takes “an experimental and provocative encounter” with what he called “the ultimate frontier of our time: Artificial Intelligence.” Despite this embrace, many within the film industry remain wary, worried that AI technologies could threaten jobs for animators, scriptwriters, and actors.
The cautious stance was echoed earlier in the year by Thierry Fremaux, director of the Cannes Film Festival, who voiced concerns about AI at the May event, aligning with industry professionals concerned about potential job losses. However, Cannes also featured a documentary by Steven Soderbergh, the Oscar-winning director of “Traffic,” which presented some AI-generated visual effects focusing on John Lennon and Yoko Ono, indicating a nuanced approach to the technology’s use.
Similarly, Peter Jackson, known for directing “The Lord of the Rings” and his expertise in special effects, shared mixed views at the Venice Festival. While he warned that AI could “destroy the world,” he also expressed openness to its application in filmmaking, saying, “I don’t dislike it at all.”
As AI continues to evolve, the Venice Film Festival’s programming reflects the industry’s ongoing debate, balancing caution with curiosity about the technology’s role in the future of cinematic storytelling.