The Russo brothers defend use of AI in The Electric State: "There’s a lot of finger-pointing and hyperbole because people are afraid"

The Russo brothers have opened up about using AI in their latest movie The Electric State, which is set in the aftermath of a war between robots and humanity. The directing duo used it for voice modulation in the movie and say it's being widely used in Hollywood.

Speaking to The Times, Joe Russo says the use of it is "something any ten-year-old could do after watching a TikTok video". He added: "There’s a lot of finger-pointing and hyperbole because people are afraid. They don’t understand. But ultimately you’ll see AI used more significantly."

The Avengers: Endgame director went on to explain: "Also, AI is in its generative state now, where it has, as we call them, hallucinations. You can’t do mission-critical work with something that hallucinates. That is a reason self-driving cars haven’t taken over, or why AI surgery is not taking place worldwide. But in its generative state, AI is best suited towards creativity."

This isn't the first time that the Russo brothers have opened up with their stance on AI use in moviemaking. Joe Russo said at the Sands International Film Festival back in early 2023 that he believes it will shape the future of storytelling. Revealing he thinks it could end up creating entire movies, he said there's "a real possibility now for technology to become a really important factor in our lives".

Other filmmakers have taken a different stance on AI, including James Cameron who will reportedly include a title card at the start of Avatar: Fire and Ash saying no generative AI was used in his film.

The Electric State is out on Netflix now. For more, read our The Electric State review and our The Electric State ending explained.