“The Electric State” Film Crafted with a Touch of Artificial Intelligence

The directors of “The Electric State,” Anthony and Joe Russo, have let slip that artificial intelligence (AI) played a role in bringing their latest project to life. The brothers reckon even a 10-year-old could’ve managed the task.

In recent years, artists, writers, directors, and creators across industries have increasingly turned to AI as a tool. Yet the rise of neural networks sparks unease—many fear for their jobs. This tension fueled the 2023 actors’ and writers’ strikes, partly driven by concerns over AI’s limits and misuse. Still, some argue it’s a handy assistant—perfect for refining material or sifting through heaps of data—but falls short of crafting the truly unique content humans conjure up.

The Russo Brothers, no strangers to cutting-edge tech from their work on Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), leaned on human hands for those films’ dazzling visual effects. But ever curious about emerging trends, they decided to dip into AI for their Netflix venture, “The Electric State.” Special effects and the script? Still human-made. The AI’s role was narrower—tweaking the voices of certain characters, as they explained to The Times:

“Any kid who’s scrolled TikTok for a tutorial could pull this off. [...] There’s a lot of pushback [against AI] because people are scared. They don’t get it. [...] Right now, AI’s just in a generative phase. You can’t rely on it for critical tasks. That’s why we don’t have self-driving cars everywhere or surgeries run by algorithms. But in its creative sandbox, AI’s a perfect playground for imagination.”

Clearly, the Russos don’t buy into the idea of AI fully stepping into human shoes. They hold the film industry’s workforce in high regard, entrusting AI with only a sliver of the workload.

Starring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, “The Electric State” unfolds in an alternate 1990s where clever robots have forged their own society and turned against humanity. Critics gave it a lukewarm nod—14% on Rotten Tomatoes—while audiences were kinder, lifting it to 76%. On IMDb, it clocks in at a solid 6.