People call out “unnerving” row of AI actors in Disney movie
Disney Let’s face it – sometimes, AI can be a great thing for TV and movies. However, Disney’s latest teen film isn’t doing the argument for artificial intelligence any favors.
On the surface, Prom Pact should be like any other harmless and light-hearted movie made for pre-teens, but now it’s drawn attention to itself for all the wrong reasons.
The film’s synopsis reads: “It is the height of prom season, but high school senior Mandy Yang has her sights set on a singular goal: attending Harvard. When she finds out she has been deferred, she is determined to do whatever she can to get herself off the waitlist, even if that means asking the one person who represents everything she abhors, all-star jock Graham Lansing, whose father is a powerful senator and Harvard alum.”
Now streaming on Disney+, some viewers have noticed that extras in some of Prom Pact’s scenes might not actually be human at all.
Disney “roasted” for using AI actors in teen film
Viewers of new Disney film Prom Pact have taken to social media to “roast” its use of AI in one particularly creepy gymnasium crowd scene.
While watching a group of cheerleaders, digital faces can be spotted on the bleachers amongst other high school kids, clapping along without any kind of facial expression.
The film was originally released back in March, where it caused a few minor ripples of concern on the likes of TikTok. Seven months later, the film’s use of AI has been thrust back into the spotlight because of SAG-AFTRA demands surrounding the use of digital images.
AI has been one of the major obstacles in the negotiations so far, with it unclear how the likes of Disney have sourced their images in order to create their not-so-realistic extra actors.
SAG-AFTRA has stated that proposals regarding AI were “continuing to demand ‘consent’ on the first day of employment for use of a performer’s digital replica for an entire cinematic universe (or any franchise project).”
So, what does this mean for Prom Pact? Disney’s use of AI is now being scrutinized more than ever. There have also been claims surrounding the studio using said digital images rather than paying actors fairly for roles.
“The AI crowd in this new Disney+ show plus teen flick #PromPact are the most unnerving thing I’ve seen in a film for decades.” one viewer tweeted. “Disney’s “Prom Pact” features AI extras that give a whole new meaning to ‘deadpan acting,'” said another.
“I think “Prom Pact” will get more viewers than it ever did before as a result,” another user weighed in. “Maybe that was the plan, to test the AI out on a low-profile pic like that. If that’s the case, they sure failed b/c it caught the eagle eye of a number of folks.”
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