Jodie Foster has the mark F1 as an ‘AI’ film, arguing that the structure and dialogue of the Brad Pitt blockbuster feel like they were generated by a computer.
Speaking at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, the Oscar-winning actress and director used Joseph Kosinski’s sports drama to illustrate how some modern films appear to be completely generated.
While she used the film as a conceptual example rather than literally claiming it was written by artificial intelligence, her comments have certainly sparked a fascinating debate about the creative state of Hollywood.
The discussion took place during a Tuesday session focused on who owns the future of the entertainment industry.
Foster sat down with media executive and former Sony executive Michael Lynton and explored the massive forces currently reshaping the film industry, from changing audience habits to the impact of the pandemic and recent labor strikes.
As the conversation turned to the inevitable topic of artificial intelligence, the filmmaker questioned humanity’s long-term control over the technology, wondering if we can actually dominate it for more than a few years.
When Lynton asked if AI could really replace human writers or actors, Foster pointed out that the industry already uses face-swapping technology, comparing it to what ordinary people can do on an iPhone, only amplified for “really fancy people”.
She elaborates on how this affects finished projects, noting that many existing films feel completely computer-generated.
“I’m not saying that disparagingly, how could I? This movie made millions of dollars, but look at a movie like F1. i’m like F1 was made by AI,” Foster remarked to the live audience.
It’s a striking criticism given the high-profile cinematic pedigree behind the film.
F1 was actually nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won with an Oscar for Best Sound.
Director Joseph Kosinski penned the script with Oscar-nominated screenwriter Ehren Kruger, while the hard-hitting production team included Jerry Bruckheimer, Brad Pitt and Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton.
Furthermore, the production team has previously gone on record to explain that they deliberately relied on practical effects as much as possible, primarily using digital magic to ensure the safety of the track.
Visual effects supervisor Ryan Tudhope revealed that his team replaced real cars or added background vehicles digitally to make the audience feel integrated into the race.
He explained that some stunts were simply too risky to perform with the main vehicles, so a stunt driver would use a smaller F3 car instead, which the effects team would later replace with their signature APXGP car.
