The use of AI in pop culture has been a pretty touchy subject, as many observe that it can take opportunities away from actual humans, but it’s already being implemented in some big projects.
Late Night With The Devil is the upcoming horror film starring David Dastmalchain as the host of a fictional variety show Night Owls with Jack Delroy. On Halloween night 1977, Delroy invites a formerly possessed girl to attend his live taping, and all hell literally breaks loose. It’s a highly anticipated horror movie that premiered at SXSW last year, though now the creators are getting pushback over the use of AI in the film.
Viewers pointed out that a handful of the still images in the film appear to be AI-generated. It includes title cards for the fictional show, which feature some eerie-looking skeletons.
for anyone doubting late night with the devil uses AI.
very disappointing to hear about this. don't support it. don't pay to watch it. pic.twitter.com/A9G8HQGz8j
— jeremy (@jeremylovesyall) March 20, 2024
After the discovery made the rounds on various social media platforms, Late Night with the Devil directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes released a statement to Variety defending the film’s use of AI. “In conjunction with our amazing graphics and production design team, all of whom worked tirelessly to give this film the ’70s aesthetic we had always imagined, we experimented with AI for three still images which we edited further and ultimately appear as very brief interstitials in the film,” it reads. “We feel incredibly fortunate to have had such a talented and passionate cast, crew and producing team go above and beyond to help bring this film to life. We can’t wait for everyone to see it for themselves this weekend.”
On the surface, using AI to create a number of unimportant images might not seem like a big deal. But when companies start adding fake celebrities into their projects or studios start using it to write scripts….then maybe we should be afraid. It’s what the devil has always wanted.
Late Night with the Devil comes to theaters on March 22 before streaming on Shudder on April 19.
