Misuse is rampant, with numerous actors such as Janhvi Kapoor , Sunainaa and Keerthy Suresh expressing shock and warning of legal action after seeing their likeness being used in objectionable deepfake videos or photos. And the conversations around ‘is that CGI or sloppy AI’ are never-ending every time a promotional poster or video drops.
The boom in artificial intelligence (AI) has affected the film industry in more ways than one, even before the technology has been fully integrated into film production.
He also calls blanket criticism of the technology foolish. (Also Read: National Award-winning VFX expert Arun Kumar says criticism around Ramayana, Jailer 2 visuals based on growing confusion on CGI vs AI | HT Exclusive ) However, the issue now lies in AI making it difficult for viewers to distinguish between what’s real and what’s fake. Because it can do the work faster, the reality is that the AI revolution is putting them out of work. Speaking exclusively to Hindustan Times, VFX expert and dean of communications, film and gaming at Pearl Academy, CB Arun Kumar, discusses the moral concerns surrounding the use of AI and calls for laws mandating proper labelling of AI-generated content on social media. The real problem arises when the audience can no longer tell what’s real and what is fake. However, Arun believes that blanket criticism of AI is foolish. “It’s important to distinguish between blanket criticism of AI and speaking up about the illegal use of it trained on an artist’s work without their consent. The former is foolish; the latter is a genuine legal and moral concern. However, he acknowledges that not just actors but even digital artists are bearing the brunt of AI’s rise in different ways. “The work they create painstakingly is no longer worth as much commercially. Many graphic artists who work in media, business, film, TV, architecture or fashion could find their work being compared to AI slop. True artists who can use AI as another tool in their pipeline will survive and thrive,” he predicts.
“Even on a legal platform like Instagram, the AI content disclaimer is a tiny, hidden message that viewers might not easily see,” explains Arun, adding, “We need stricter laws that mandate clear, bold labelling of AI content so it can no longer pretend to be news, like some disaster clips that proliferate on the internet. Taking the Luddite position that all AI is evil and all the work it creates is stolen from humans is simply meaningless,” he says.
Arun points out that throughout history, human progress has depended on our ability to copy and produce the work of other humans, much like art students learn by studying and copying work of masters. Legally, an exact copy is a forgery only if the artist claims it is the original artist’s work. If I paint the Mona Lisa or The Starry Night and say it is a reproduction I made. It would be just that, a reproduction. The value still only resides in the original artwork preserved in a museum,” he reasons.
“All human art is based on the foundations of work done earlier.
