Do we need AI disclaimers in video production?

There’s been much conversation around AI in video production and its opportunities and threats to the film industry. No one knows exactly how this will play out. What we do know is that ai is here and it’s only getting better. A lot has been said about ai not being able to create the emotive feel that we want to evoke in film. I mostly agree with that. But there will be brands and people who will go all in on it. And that’s fine, but let’s be transparent about its use.

The EU recently brought the AI act into law, whereby every piece of media created using AI should carry a disclaimer. I think this is great. Let’s call a spade a spade, in advertising we are generally creating aspirational and relatable videos for our audience. These are often embellishments of what the real world is actually like. Bringing ai into the fore, we’re taking it that one step further and losing a lot of authenticity. How are we supposed to relate to our audience by using a generated image of a person rather than a real person?

That said, at the end of the day, we are creating entertainment for our audiences. And AI is another cheap, fast and sometimes effective way to do that. But given the rapid pace at which it’s entered our lives, do we not owe it to our audience to let them know that ai was used?

Of course, there are nuances. In film making, we generally talk of two types of AI

Full AI generation: Might mean entire images, characters, or even films created without a camera ever rolling.

Assisted AI: More like a supporting tool such as helping with set extensions, noise reduction or VFX touch ups.

The latter feels less like a replacement and more like an evolution of post-production workflow. This is something we as a greater industry need to discuss.

I believe that by creating this transparency through a disclaimer should be seen as a positive. This extends beyond advertising, with the rising use of deepfakes, we need something to ensure there’s transparency.

However, there is a downside (or upside depending on your view) in that having this disclaimer does open up a world of scrutiny at a time when many within the industry are fearful of their livelihoods. Do brands even want to venture into that territory?

AI is moving too fast for most of us to adapt, by creating legislation around it, we have the chance to catch up or at least slow it down. It’s here to stay, but transparency in how we use it is still in our hands.