Vikramaditya Motwane looks at AI as a threat, says it's here to stay: Threat is people using it instead of hiring talent

In an interview with Hindustan Times, filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane gets candid about his journey as a storyteller, and emergence of AI in the industry.

Filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane is not delusional when it comes to the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in the industry and understands that it is here to stay. That being said, he stresses the importance of establishing a clear framework for AI's integration so that it doesn’t end up replacing talent.

Vikramaditya Motwane recently joined the second edition of BookMyShow’s Red Lorry Film Festival as a jury member.

Recently, Vikramaditya spoke with Hindustan Times about taking it slow to focus on writing his projects, his journey as a storyteller and his role as a jury member of the second edition of Red Lorry Film Festival, a festival curated by BookMyShow.

On being a jury member

Talking about joining the film festival as a jury, Vikramaditya admits that he got attracted to it because of his love for cinema. “The basic interest of supporting movies and watching them gets me excited. Any opportunity to watch movies, especially movies that I haven't seen, gets me excited,” he tells us.

The films which have been shortlisted for the inaugural Competition Segment have been announced. The Competition Segment features two categories: The Frontrunner (Best Film) and Fresh Frames (Best Debut Film). The winners of both categories will be announced during the festival's opening ceremony on March 20.

He adds, “I've been watching the titles in the competition segment for Red Lorry Film Festival over the past few weeks and it's been a very enriching experience. The sheer diversity of the films and the filmmakers is terrific. Each film has its own unique voice, unique story and unique perspective and this makes the process of choosing the winner equally challenging and rewarding”.

On perception around film festivals in India

When it comes to film festivals, according to Vikramaditya, there is still a misperception that it is only for arty cinema.

“This is a past. Film festivals are a place for amazing genres. You get amazing horror films, action films, comedy films, and political films. It's a place where people can go and find what they like... Festivals nurture your own cinematic soul. There are also places where a lot of business deals do happen. A lot of films do get sold,” he shares.

On the emergence of AI

Vikramaditya, known for projects such as Udaan, Lootera, CTRL, Sacred Games, Jubilee and Black Warrant, has a realistic view of the rising influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the industry, accepting it as an irreversible trend.

“But I see AI as a threat. The threat is not from the creators using it. The threat is from the people with money wanting to use it to save more money for themselves. The threat comes from there. It's about the people in power using it to be able to say, ‘I can use AI and then I will not hire X number of people for my job’, or ‘I can use AI and I can get rid of X number of people’,” he says.

And that’s a problem which the filmmaker feels will grow going forward. “There needs to be a bit of a balance. We need to put a guardrail that doesn't allow such things to happen,” shares the creator of Black Warrant.

Vikramaditya continues, “AI is here to stay. I'm not denying that. It is going to be a part of our lives moving forward, whether we like it or not. But there needs to be a proper way to implement it. People's jobs and livelihoods should not be falling off a cliff because of that."

On his future projects

He had a busy last few months with projects such as CTRL led by Ananya Panday and Black Warrant releasing. Now, he is taking it slow.

“I am not working on anything at present, nothing. I am taking a break, and getting back to writing. I am trying to see what else I want to do,” he ends, hoping that the second season of Black Warrant gets greenlit by the streaming service.