There's no denying that the Russo Brothers' latest Netflix venture, *The Electric State*, has been a hot topic since its debut on Friday. Amidst the current industry climate, the film's use of AI has sparked significant discussion among fans and professionals alike.
Joe Russo, who, alongside his brother Anthony, directed blockbusters like *Avengers: Infinity War* and *Avengers: Endgame*, has come to the defense of AI's role in *The Electric State*. He highlighted its use for voice modulation, describing it as "something any 10-year-old could do after watching a TikTok video." In an interview with The Times, Joe Russo addressed the controversy, stating, "There’s a lot of finger-pointing and hyperbole because people are afraid. They don’t understand. But ultimately you’ll see AI used more significantly."
Russo further elaborated on the potential of AI in the creative industry. "Also, AI is in its generative state now, where it has, as we call them, hallucinations. You can’t do mission-critical work with something that hallucinates," he explained. "That is a reason self-driving cars haven’t taken over, or why AI surgery is not taking place worldwide. But in its generative state, AI is best suited towards creativity."
Despite the enthusiasm from some studios, many artists across various disciplines view AI as the antithesis of creativity. However, industry leaders like Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos seem eager to leverage the technology. In a statement from July 2024, Sarandos claimed that audiences "don’t care" if AI is used in their entertainment. He emphasized that AI is "a great way for creators to tell better stories," drawing parallels with the evolution of animation. "Animation didn't get cheaper, it got better in the move from hand-drawn to CG animation, and more people work in animation today than ever in history," Sarandos noted. "So I'm pretty sure there's a better business and a bigger business in making content 10% better than there is in making it 50% cheaper."
Not all studios are on board with AI, though. Marvel, for instance, denied using AI to create teaser posters for their upcoming film *The Fantastic Four: First Steps*, despite some anomalies in the imagery, such as a character with a four-fingered hand.
*The Electric State* was directed and produced by Anthony and Joe Russo, with a script by Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus, loosely adapted from Simon Stalenhag's 2018 illustrated novel. The film boasts a star-studded cast including Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Woody Harrelson, Jason Alexander, Anthony Mackie, Jenny Slate, Giancarlo Esposito, Brian Cox, and Stanley Tucci.
IGN's review of *The Electric State* was less than favorable, awarding it a 4/10 and describing it as "Marvel’s biggest hitmakers join forces again with the Netflix algorithm to deliver *The Electric State*, a $300-million anti-event movie."
Looking ahead, the Russo Brothers are set to direct the next two Avengers movies for Marvel Studios: *Avengers: Doomsday* in 2026 and *Avengers: Secret Wars* in 2027.
