In 2023, Hollywood was disrupted by an actors’ strike, with the latter concerned about the use of artificial intelligence in cinema. In question, doubles generated by AI without the consent of the actors in question. As relayed by the online media Futurism, animals accustomed to the plateaus do not escape this scourge. Their roles are becoming rare, replaced on screen by virtual dogs, horses or birds.
These digitally generated animals represent both a logistical and economic gain for the studios. A synthetic animal does not get sick, does not have to be transported by plane or truck, does not require a break or a veterinarian, and does not impose time or ethical constraints related to animal welfare. Then, AI and visual effects make it possible to control every movement, every look, every run, which has the effect of greatly reducing the costs linked to the hazards of filming with living beings.
AI in cinema: the end of authenticity?
This change significantly alters the human-animal relationship. An entire sector, from trainers to caregivers, is under threat. The human know-how of the teams involved behind the work of the animal actors is weakened and threatened. The trainers are replaced by 3D animators and traditional filming gives way to motion capture sessions, realistic modeling of hair, skin, muscles, and virtual environments in which the animal evolves like a video game character.
However, an ethical question arises. If for us spectators, it is now almost impossible to differentiate between a digitized creature and a real animal in flesh and blood, for certain specialists, this transition marks a paradigm shift: the animal is no longer just a simple decoration, generated like any tree, waterfall or explosion in 3D.
This phenomenon is part of a broader change in cinema which does not only impact star animals. In the era of streamingmassive visual effects have invaded cinema, omnipresent technology places actors like pawns in front of green screens, and automation is taking over every segment of production.
Artificial intelligence promises clearer, smoother cinema. It also marks, by facilitating the work of 3D VFX designers, the end of an era where animals brought something unique to the image. If AI and digital technology offer new possibilities, they also encourage us to think about what we want to keep alive in fiction and what we agree to give up for the benefit of technology.
