IMAX is hosting a "one-day global storytelling event" for "the world's best AI-assisted short films," and the very predictable backlash is strong

IMAX has announced an AI-assisted short film festival...and people are, unsurprisingly, very unhappy.

According to their official website, IMAX is hosting Runway's third annual AI Film Festival which is a "celebration of the art and artists embracing new and emerging AI tools for filmmaking." Over six thousand films were submitted to the film festival, and ten were selected, which will be shown in IMAX theaters nationwide. Runway is a generative AI company that was founded in 2018, and each short film was composed using the software. The jurors for the festival include directors Gaspar Noé and Harmony Korine, the latter of whom has a first-look deal with Runway to release his second AI-assisted movie (the first being that movie with the scary baby heads).

The announcement has received a considerable amount of backlash, which mostly consists of expletives that I cannot quote here. Though, one person did say that they would rather "individually pluck out their own eyelashes" than attend the festival.

"Would literally rather watch The Room," someone wrote, referring to Tommy Wiseau's masterpiece that is largely considered one of the worst movies of all time (though it's won several Oscars in my house). "At least that was made by hand."

"AI-generated content will never be art, no matter how close it replicates it," another person said.

AI not only has ethical complications, but is largely bad for the environment. As the Earth continues to become hotter and hotter, we can all look forward to more images of hands with seven fingers and ChatGPT telling us to put forks in the toaster.

For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2025 and beyond.