"Incredibly anti-art"— Fans criticize Joe Russo after the director admits to using AI for The Electric State

The Electric State co-director, Joe Russo, is back to making the headlines—but this time not for the right reasons. With his latest feature having been released on Netflix, which stars Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown and cost upward of $300 million to make, The Electric State director is back in the news for his take on the usage of artificial intelligence in films, which has left fans quite upset.

Talking to The Sunday Times about The Electric State, Joe Russo mentioned that the film did indeed use artificial intelligence to modify some of the voices that were featured in the movie. However, he also admitted to AI being used commonly in Hollywood and said that many won't admit to doing so as they are afraid.

"[The use of AI was] something any ten-year-old could do after watching a TikTok video. There’s a lot of finger-pointing and hyperbole because people are afraid. They don’t understand," said Joe Russo.

However, his comments did not go down well among fans online. Many came out to criticize the director for using artificial intelligence in The Electric State and said that this stance is ultimately "anti-art." Many also showcased their fears for the upcoming two Avengers films, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, as they are afraid AI may be used in their development too.

A screenshot of the quote (Image via @homeofdcu on X)

"Joe Russo coming out being a strong supporter for AI is scary. Incredibly anti-art and peoples jobs are at risk," said one fan criticizing the director.

"People like russo love the idea of AI because it means they no longer have to rely on help from talented craftsmen to make their s****y ideas into reality. It's the studio hack's fantasy come to life," said another fan.

"It is literally impossible to defend Joe Russo bruh," said another fan.

"The thought of Joe & Anthony Russo using AI on Doom's voice and armor.. Von Doom is royally f*****d for a 4th time," said another fan.

"Joe Russo could use AI to write all his scripts and compose every scene, etc. and no one would even notice but it would be just as s**t as if he had done it himself. Notice how it’s only the slop box office directors embracing AI and not actual artists? yeah yeah…," said another fan.

"Joe Russo has nothing of his own and this is what he has to show for it, all of his biggest successes are derivative works that they didn’t even write. The Russos don’t even know how to be creative, so of course they would think that generative AI is a good thing," said another fan.

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The Electric State director believes AI will be used more in films in the future

After talking about the use of AI in Netflix's The Electric State, director Joe Russo doubled down on how artificial intelligence will be used more in the future. Defending the use of AI in movies, Russo stated how he believes that AI is best suited towards its inclusion in creativity, and its generative nature can truly be helpful.

"But ultimately you’ll see AI used more significantly. 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," said The Electric State director.

He concluded:

"But in its generative state, AI is best suited towards creativity."

As of now, the usage of artificial intelligence in films has been a major discussion among many in Hollywood. While some think that it helps with the making of films, others believe that it is ultimately harmful to actual artists.

Joe Russo will next be seen helming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars for Marvel Studios alongside his brother Anthony Russo.

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