From the Natural Stupidity Department
To be honest, when I've witnessed some of the stupid things that happen when artificial intelligence is used in stupid ways, a part of me has always been amused by the people who get fooled. After all, I've witnessed most of this from afar. Writing about a situation where I was one of the people fooled by the stupidity feels a bit different.
Sometime in the last week or so, I personally remember seeing the following trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s upcoming film, Megalopolis.
Now, I remember seeing that trailer because of a quote at the beginning of a film review of one of Coppola's previous works. I'm a fan of his films, as are millions of other people. I remember seeing that quote and laughing, wondering how a critic could get things so completely wrong about films like The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. I briefly considered Googling the reviewer's name to see if I could find the full review, just to laugh at their hilarious mistakes.
In fact, someone else did just that, and discovered that they were AI-generated quotes from fake reviews that reviewers had never written.
Lionsgate has parted ways with marketing consultant Eddie Egan, who devised a trailer for “Megalopolis” that contained fake quotes from famous film critics. The studio pulled the trailer on Wednesday after it was pointed out that the quotes disparaging Francis Ford Coppola's previous film were not actually in the critics' reviews and were fabricated.
Variety's sources say that Lionsgate or Egan did not fabricate the quotes, but rather made a mistake in properly vetting and fact-checking the phrases provided by consultants. The trailer's intention was to show that Coppola's respected work was subject to criticism in the same way as “Megalopolis.” AI appears to have been used to generate the fake quotes from critics.
That's too kind. Some of the critics slamming Coppola's work actually loved the movies they were supposedly slamming. Variety was able to generate similar quotes using ChatGPT through trial and error, and this is probably where it all came from. Misquoting the words and reviews of film critics just to stir up fake outrage to drum up interest in Coppola's new work is not only a complete violation of the work that critics have actually done, but it also abdicates the trust the public has in the studio.
Now, in fairness, Lionsgate appears to have had no idea that the quote in the trailer was fake, and apparently pulled the trailer as soon as they found out.
“Lionsgate is withdrawing the trailer for 'Megalopolis,' effective immediately,” the company said in a statement Wednesday. “We offer our sincere apologies to the critics involved, Francis Ford Coppola and American Zoetrope for the unforgivable error in our review process. We failed, and we are sorry.”
Still, it's a pretty dire sign for the industry at a time when the public and SAG members alike are worried that AI will start to negatively impact creative work.
Alternatively, if you want to know Lionsgate’s take on ChatGPT, check out this link:
Lionsgate's use of fake AI-generated quotes in the trailer for “Megalopolis” was a major blunder that drew considerable criticism. The use of AI-generated quotes can undermine the authenticity and credibility of marketing materials, especially when presented as genuine recommendations from critics.
For many, the artificial insertion of such quotes not only misleads potential viewers, but also raises ethical concerns about the transparency and authenticity of advertising: if audiences and critics discover such manipulation, it could damage the studio's reputation and affect the film's ratings.
In the case of “Megalopolis,” the controversy has highlighted the wider issue of how AI can be misused in promotional contexts, underscoring the importance of maintaining integrity in marketing efforts and being transparent about the source and nature of endorsements.
And you can quote me on that point.
Categories: AI, Francis Ford Coppola, Marketing, Megalopolis, Trailer
Company: Lionsgate
