
It’s no surprise actor Adrien Brody received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his performance in “The Brutalist” on Jan. 23. Brody’s performance in director Brady Corbet’s three-and-a-half-hour-long epic has been almost universally praised, and Brody won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.
The big surprise happened two weeks earlier.
David Jancso, the film’s editor, revealed the film used Respeecher, an artificial intelligence (AI) voice-generating system, to alter Brody’s voice. Specifically, it was used in moments when his character was speaking Hungarian.
All of a sudden, one of the favorites to win the most prestigious award a male actor can achieve was in the middle of a massive controversy. However this decision is treated, the ramifications of its reception will be felt well past this year’s awards season.
What kind of AI was used?
The term AI has garnered a stigma over the past couple of years, but it’s important to distinguish differences between the various kinds of AI. Some forms of AI are essentially just improved algorithms that can evolve themselves faster and more accurately. This is a gross oversimplification, but by and large, this form of AI is far less harmful, especially when it comes to art.
Generative AI is considered the “bad” AI. Whether it be script, image or video generation, using generative AI is effectively anti-art. It uses creations made by real people in order to train itself to imitate. It is incapable of new, groundbreaking advancements. Unfortunately for fans of “The Brutalist,” generative AI is what was used.
All things considered, this is one of the most responsible ways to use generative AI. Simple tweaks to improve the accuracy of an accent is far from the most damage the technology can do. However, it has already had negative impacts, especially on the perception of Brody’s performance.
What does this mean for Brody?
Brody has long been one of the most underappreciated actors in Hollywood. He has put on masterful performances in movies and TV shows alike and almost always steals the show. This was why AI being used for him was particularly surprising, especially considering Brody’s Hungarian equipped him to perform this character wholly.
Brody’s performance in “The Brutalist” is genuinely breathtaking, but having to use AI to improve an accent makes it less impressive. The technology feels like a shortcut, and for someone who has had their performance so widely celebrated, it feels dishonest.
What does this mean for the Oscars?
Whether or not you think the use of AI should disqualify Brody from contention, it undoubtedly makes his performance less impressive, especially considering who he’s going up against in the Best Actor category.
Brody’s biggest threat for the award is Timothée Chalamet in the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown.” If you know anything about Dylan and his music, you know he has a rather unique voice. Chalamet didn’t shy away from this and embraced the role along with the voice. In every scene where Dylan sings, it’s actually Chalamet singing, and his accuracy is otherworldly.
While an imitation of Dylan is almost certainly easier than speaking fluent Hungarian in a believable Hungarian accent, it’s almost natural to compare the two, especially considering the history at stake.
If Chalamet wins the Oscar for Best Actor, he will become the youngest performer to ever win the award; a staggering achievement that would be made even more relevant this year for one reason.
The person who currently holds the record is Brody.
In 2003, Brody won Best Actor at the Oscars for his performance in “The Pianist.” Now, two decades later, he can stop one of the most prestigious young actors in the history of film from breaking his record. But if he does it with the help of AI, there will always be those who believe the rightful owner of the record should be Chalamet.
What does this mean for the film industry?
Using generative AI in as limited a capacity as “The Brutalist” does isn’t the most egregious use of technology, but it could be a slippery slope. What if a film decides to use generative AI to touch up a film’s visual effects rather than hiring CGI artists? Or if a script rewrite is needed for a scene and ChatGPT is used to rework small parts of it?
If the use of generative AI in film is normalized, even in this limited use, it will empower others to do the same. Eventually, it won’t just be small touch-ups; it will be full scripts, landscapes and directions, all done without human involvement.
Awarding Brody’s performance in “The Brutalist,” compelling as it may be, would set a dangerous precedent, one that the film industry may never recover from.
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