Arabic version: فشل فيلم صيني مولّد بالذكاء الاصطناعي رغم اهتمام المستثمرين

According to The Guardian, China’s first fully AI-generated film, Sanxingdui: Future Past, has earned 1.7m yuan (£191,000) at the box office after costing “tens of millions” to make, according to its producer. The film was released in Beijing and was viewed in a virtually empty cinema.

The story follows a future society where algorithms and AI make every decision, leading to a global catastrophe. Its characters seek to unlock a hidden code in Sanxingdui bronze sculptures linked to the ancient kingdom of Shu. The plot includes astronauts in ancient Egypt and archaeologists travelling through space-time vortices.

All of the film’s visuals and some sound effects were made with AI, while humans edited the production. The company’s in-house AI scriptwriting tool, Bowen, was used. The Guardian reported that characters were often lifelike but sometimes fell into the “uncanny valley”, while their running resembled the smooth gait of video-game characters.

Yu Yaqin, an independent film critic in Beijing, said the film flopped because it was not entertaining, but added that AI films would continue to be made because investors place a high value on the technology. A person working in screenplay development said most projects she had recently been approached about were AI films, partly because they could cost less than traditional productions.

Chinese viewers already encounter AI-generated microdramas, short productions designed for mobile viewing. Tens of thousands are uploaded to streaming platforms each month, and the industry is estimated to be worth $3bn. Yu said audiences may still be more willing to pay for films offering a more unique cinema experience.