aRTIFICiAL PLANET

Synopsis

Recent advances in artificial intelligence technology could soon give way to films produced entirely by AI. What might that mean for the wildlife documentary film industry?

Chloe Warren, a young filmmaker studying Science Communication at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, is worried AI might make wildlife filmmaking jobs obsolete. However, recognizing that wildlife filmmaking does have an ecological impact, she wonders if the technology might actually help reduce the disturbance of fragile ecosystems and endangered species and thus better serve conservation.

Helped by a cast of filmmakers, producers, computer graphics artists, philosophers, computer scientists, and conservationists, the film explores the importance of authenticity, trust, and veracity in wildlife documentaries. As the rise of AI seems more and more inevitable, the audience, filmmakers, and Chloe herself are forced to consider their place in the media ecosystem.