AI may be accelerating across the film world, but it won’t replace the craft, collaboration and human unpredictability that define cinema — that was the message from Berlinale chief Tricia Tuttle and International Film Festival of India (IFFI) director Shekhar Kapur, who warned that the technology will reshape workflows long before it matches artistic intuition.
Tuttle noted that easier access to powerful AI tools will not automatically raise artistic standards. “Tools don’t make films good. Storytelling and craftsmanship do,” she said. Kapur agreed, underscoring that AI still cannot reproduce the creative energy that emerges between actors, directors and crew in real time. Using the complexity of the eye as an example, he pointed to the nuances of human expression as areas where digital performance remains limited. “A great actor brings something unpredictable,” which is something that’s not programmable, he said.
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The discussion positioned AI as the latest in a long line of disruptive technologies. Kapur recalled how early digital workflows and early surround-sound mixes were initially overused before the industry learned restraint. He expects a similar trajectory with AI-generated material. “There’s always a phase of overexcitement. Eventually people settle into more balanced use,” he said.
For festivals, Tuttle highlighted the operational impact. Berlinale already processes roughly 8,000 submissions yearly; AI is likely to expand that number significantly. She added that quality control, rights verification and originality checks may become more complex as AI-generated content rises.
Kapur argued that AI should not be viewed as a direct competitor to theatrical cinema, particularly in markets such as India where the number of screens remains low. Instead, he expects AI-native content to build its own ecosystem in terms of platforms, aesthetics and consumption patterns, similar to the growth of TikTok. “There’s already an emerging AI look. It may not translate to big screens, but it will form its own category,” he said. He also pointed to a potential surge in youth-made AI films, which could create new entry points for non-traditional creators.
However, Kapur cautioned that heavily AI-based production can reduce the collaborative spirit that defines filmmaking. With fewer people physically involved, directors risk creative isolation. “It’s going to be a bit lonely. I’m anxious about not being able to say action, and not being able to say cut, just sitting behind a computer with somebody,” he said while adding that AI could democratise the entry level for young filmmakers, at the likely cost of reducing collaborative on-set culture, noting the risk of creatives losing the push-and-pull of crew-based production and creative sparring.
During the session, Kapur shared a trailer of his own AI experiment: his sci-fi project “Warlord” which he is considering releasing open-source. “Every time we talk about space travel, every spaceship has looked the same. Everybody made spaceships space out of metal. Surely there would be some ways to develop fabrics or materials that will self-heal a spaceship if it gets a tear while its crossing dimensions. That’s when I thought of jellyfish. I thought, can I create a spaceship that works like a jellyfish?”
Tuttle’s concern veered towards compensation and the “extractive nature of this new technology.” She said, “With technology becoming condensed, capital becoming condensed into smaller number of hands, it becomes really difficult for people to make money. That’s what I’m more worried about as a lover of art.”
Both speakers agreed that despite the disruption, AI will not replace traditional cinema but broaden the moving-image field. Festivals, distributors and exhibitors will need to adapt their frameworks – from submission guidelines to rights management and talent development – while maintaining cinema’s core values: emotional authenticity, narrative intention and human presence.
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