Danny Boyle sidesteps AI question at Toronto debut of Ink
Danny Boyle sidestepped a question about the wider dangers of artificial intelligence at the Canadian debut of his newspaper drama Ink in Toronto on Tuesday afternoon, Variety reported.
The film traces the rise of the British tabloid The Sun under owner Rupert Murdoch and editor Larry Lamb. Guy Pearce plays Murdoch. Jack O'Connell plays Lamb.
The exchange came during the post-screening question session at the Princess of Wales Theatre. Boyle appeared on stage with Pearce and O'Connell after the 2:30 p.m. screening on 15 September.
A voice from the balcony asked about Boyle's own use of AI on the film and the larger threat the technology poses to the film business and the world. It was a direct question. Boyle chose not to engage with the second half.
On his own use, Boyle was specific. He said the production used about thirty seconds of AI to bring a couple of old photographs to life. He said it was also used for shots of mice running around the Sun newsroom.
He described that work as part of the visual effects toolkit, one method among others used to finish effects shots. He added that the team had tried to make sure no actors lost work because of it. Boyle had earlier given a similar figure, telling Vanity Fair that the film contained around 30 seconds of generative AI, Deadline reported.
Pressed on the broader implications, he declined to go further. He called the subject hugely complicated. He said it would need to be discussed at length.
The Toronto screening follows a high-profile launch in Italy. Ink opened the 83rd Venice Film Festival on 2 September, Deadline reported, where it had its world premiere. It was Boyle's first time in competition at Venice.
In Toronto, the film is listed in the Special Presentations programme, a section for prominent new titles. The 51st edition of the festival runs from 10 to 20 September.
What makes this stand out is the scale. Thirty seconds is a small footprint. The reaction shows how even a small use can prompt the biggest questions in the room.
