{"id":397529,"date":"2026-04-17T20:01:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T20:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/397529\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T20:01:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T20:01:13","slug":"steven-soderberghs-ai-contradiction-salon-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/397529\/","title":{"rendered":"Steven Soderbergh’s AI contradiction – Salon.com"},"content":{"rendered":"

Steven Soderbergh<\/a> is a man of both expedience and innovation. In the last 15 months, he\u2019s had three films in theaters \u2014 \u201cPresence<\/a>,\u201d \u201cBlack Bag<\/a>\u201d and now, \u201cThe Christophers\u201d \u2014 all with their own unique directorial style and individual ambitions. \u201cPresence\u201d was a ghost story about teenage loneliness, filmed from the perspective of a spirit haunting the house a grieving family has just moved into. \u201cBlack Bag\u201d tore up spy movie conventions with its emphasis on fidelity in the field, becoming one of the genre\u2019s most scintillating new films in years. And with \u201cThe Christophers,\u201d Soderbergh unhurriedly wades through the art world with a sweet tale of a fading painter, Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen<\/a>), and his new assistant, Lori (Michaela Coel<\/a>), who\u2019s been covertly hired by Julian\u2019s children to finish (aka forge) the last of his most beloved series of portraits.<\/p>\n

Throughout the film, the question of what gives art its value appears in several forms, challenged by Lori and Julian when their initially stilted working relationship transforms into something more intimate. As they grow closer, Lori wonders if the difference between restoration and forgery becomes moot when the person working to complete a half-finished work of art, in the original artist\u2019s style, is doing so with the artist\u2019s blessing. The film, written by Soderbergh\u2019s frequent collaborator Ed Solomon, quietly asks the questions confounding creatives in the tech-obsessed age. For those concerned that artistic prowess is being deprioritized for AI<\/a>, and filmmaking might soon become just another piece of content creation, left to fight for its existence in a sea of vertical videos, \u201cThe Christophers\u201d is a modern and compelling interrogation of the future.<\/p>\n

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(Claudette Barius\/NEON) Ian McKellen in \u201cThe Christophers\u201d<\/p>\n

By being so willfully averse to acknowledging the ways AI and art conflict \u2014 not to mention its ramifications for others in his industry \u2014 Soderbergh\u2019s take on an artist losing his touch in \u201cThe Christophers\u201d is disappointingly apt.<\/p>\n

Ironically, the film\u2019s release is frustratingly soured by recent comments Soderbergh has made about generative AI. In an interview<\/a> with Filmmaker Magazine, Soderbergh revealed that he\u2019d been \u201cworking with AI lately\u201d on an upcoming documentary about John Lennon<\/a> and Yoko Ono<\/a>, using genAI programs to create dreamlike imagery that evokes its subject\u2019s philosophical musings. \u201cAI has been helpful in creating thematically surreal images that occupy a dream space rather than a literal space,\u201d Soderbergh said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s been really fun because you need a Ph.D. in literature to tell it what to do.\u201d Soderbergh relented that generative programs require \u201cvery close human supervision,\u201d before going on to admit that he\u2019s also using \u201ca lot of AI\u201d for an upcoming film about the Spanish-American War, to generate images of archaic warships and God knows what else.<\/p>\n

Anyone who\u2019s followed Soderbergh\u2019s filmography, even tangentially, may not be surprised by the director\u2019s affinity for AI. Throughout his career, Soderbergh has sought out new technology and filmmaking techniques to play around with, lending his work an exciting sandbox quality where anything goes. His 2018 film \u201cUnsane\u201d was among the first widely released theatrical films to be shot on an iPhone. \u201cPresence\u201d and his television show \u201cMosaic\u201d utilized unique storytelling formats, with the latter co-released as an app that allowed users to choose which perspective the story was told from.<\/p>\n

But just because Soderbergh jumping at AI could be seen from a mile away doesn\u2019t make it any less disappointing, nor does it excuse his reluctance to thoughtfully engage with others\u2019 criticisms about the technology. If \u201cThe Christophers\u201d is to be believed, art that tries to imitate a certain style is little more than hollow, emotionless posturing. Generative AI is the same: mere mimicry, devoid of the humanity that makes art . . . well, art. And by being so willfully averse to acknowledging the ways AI and art conflict \u2014 not to mention its ramifications for others in his industry \u2014 Soderbergh\u2019s take on an artist losing his touch in \u201cThe Christophers\u201d is disappointingly apt.<\/p>\n

When Lori first begins her work with Julian, she\u2019s tasked with locating the unfinished series of Christopher portraits, using what\u2019s already on the canvas to complete the paintings so they\u2019ll have more monetary value after his death. Julian began the series in the early \u201990s after coming out, dedicating his work to his lover, Christopher. The paintings were a massive hit, catapulting Julian to a new echelon of fame, but isolating Christopher and ultimately driving him away, leaving the third and final series incomplete. Julian\u2019s children, Sallie (Jessica Gunning) and Barnaby (James Corden<\/a>), intend to use the money from Lori\u2019s forged Christophers as their inheritance, offering her a cut of the final sum. For an artist like Lori, who works part-time at a Chinese food truck while painting and writing art criticism on the side, the job is both a dream and a nightmare. She and Julian have a past (unbeknownst to him), and working alongside him is bound to be uncomfortable. It is, however, a novel use of her forgery skills, and an assignment she\u2019s too curious to pass up.<\/p>\n

But Lori soon learns that the situation is more complicated than it seems. Julian wants to destroy the unfinished Christophers, but can\u2019t bring himself to douse the canvases in kerosene and light the match. They\u2019re too important to him; not just because they\u2019re his most respected works, but because they represent a time when the world was at his fingertips. Love was new and delightfully consuming. It inspired him like never before. But after Christopher left, Julian became a shell of his former self \u2014 a cantankerous curmudgeon, known more for his Simon Cowell-esque criticism on the long-running reality show \u201cArt Fight\u201d than his work. Now, he\u2019s relegated his studio space to a spot for recording Cameos, perched in front of a ring light rather than an easel.<\/p>\n

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As it turns out, what Julian really needs is the motivation that Lori\u2019s tough spirit provides. In her company, Julian sheds most of his ego, engaging in intellectual t\u00eate-\u00e0-t\u00eates about his past works and whether a forgery can ever really capture an artist\u2019s intention and energy. Together, Julian and Lori discover that there\u2019s an art to becoming someone else, an authenticity that can only be achieved by a symbiotic relationship where one creator has the other\u2019s blessing.<\/p>\n

With generative AI, that kind of approval isn\u2019t necessary. The largest genAI programs like Grok, OpenAI, ChatGPT and Claude are trained on vast amounts of third-party data, including but not limited to text, images and films. These programs scrape hundreds of hours of painstaking, human-made art to replicate the style of an artist on a whim, so users who have been dying to see themselves \u201cdrawn\u201d in Studio Ghibli style, or \u201cdressed\u201d like a Wes Anderson character, can live out their fantasies for one fleeting moment.<\/p>\n

On a larger scale, AI data centers are at the forefront<\/a> of local protests and environmental concern, with the megaprojects polluting acres of once peaceful land, using up precious resources and driving up electricity prices. And then there are the ramifications of AI in creative spaces. Just this week, Disney announced<\/a> sizable layoffs under the guise of \u201cstreamlining operations,\u201d canning a large percentage of Marvel\u2019s award-winning visual effects team that has been with the studio for years. Fans suspect that by \u201cstreamlining,\u201d execs mean that they\u2019re working on ways to integrate AI, which wouldn\u2019t be a shock considering Marvel\u2019s reputation for overworking its effects teams.<\/p>\n

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(Claudette Barius\/NEON) Jessica Gunning and James Corden in \u201cThe Christophers\u201d<\/p>\n

In a follow-up chat<\/a> with Variety, Soderbergh expanded on his initial comments about using AI in future films. \u201cI\u2019m just not threatened by it . . . Ten years ago, I would have needed to engage a visual effects house at an unbelievable cost to come up with this stuff,\u201d he said. \u201cNo longer. My job is to deliver a good movie, period. And this tool showed up at a moment when I needed it. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s the solution to everything, and I don\u2019t think it\u2019s the death of everything . . . There are some people that I have absolute love and respect for that refuse to engage with it. That\u2019s their privilege. But I\u2019m not built that way. You show me a new tool, I want to get my hands on it and see what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Therein lies the multitude of problems with using generative AI for mainstream theatrical filmmaking, and Soderbergh\u2019s myopic reasoning for implementing it. To not be threatened by the influx of AI in creative spaces is to speak from a place of immense privilege. Soderbergh has his legacy and his name. They already mean something, and that isn\u2019t likely to change. But for below-the-line creatives who work in the technical side of filmmaking, or screenwriters trying to sell their scripts, the threat of AI \u2014 or, rather, how quickly executives are to defer to AI to cut costs \u2014 is very real.<\/p>\n

As genAI has proliferated creative spaces over the last few years, its rise has been accompanied by the strange, baseless idea that people have a creative imperative to try out new technology, which is nothing more than smoke and mirrors to cloud a lack of moral character.<\/p>\n

Yes, Soderbergh would\u2019ve needed to hire a VFX team to produce images of a Spanish warship. And sure, it may have been expensive. But I don\u2019t buy that money was a barrier for entry for a director whose net worth is closing in on $100 million, nor do I think there aren\u2019t far more interesting and artful ways to get around the problem of grand filmmaking on a budget. For \u201cThe Testament of Ann Lee<\/a>,\u201d Mona Fastvold shot a stunning, highly choreographed sequence onboard<\/a> a real Swedish ship, all while clinging to a limited budget of $10 million. When filmmakers harness real, creative ways to bring their visions to life over technological shortcuts that diminish the skill and value of visual effects artists, that\u2019s when movies leave us awestruck. The craft is part of what gives cinema its merit. There\u2019s no marvel in something created by feeding a prompt to a genAI program, never mind that 99% of the time, the result looks revolting and unnatural.<\/p>\n

At a pivotal point in \u201cThe Christophers,\u201d Lori explains how she can see that Julian was phoning it in during his later series of the titular paintings. To the naked eye, they may have looked similar. But peer a little closer, and one could see that the brushstrokes lost their consistency and that the lines were harsher, more aggravated. These Christophers were the result of Julian trying to copy his own style, to regain the ebullient spark lost after his muse left his side. \u201cThe lightness was forced, and the joy was a lie,\u201d she tells him. To put it plainly: Julian\u2019s imitations lacked the vivacity that made his art unique, resulting in an uncanny dissonance between idea and result.<\/p>\n

As the characters debated, a similar conversation sprang to mind. A few years back, I stopped into my favorite vintage poster shop to splurge on a 1987 one-sheet for \u201cFatal Attraction,\u201d designed by Polish artist Maciej Kalkus. It was expensive, but worth every penny \u2014 a beautiful, abstract rendering of the film\u2019s themes, displayed in a bewitching graphic style I couldn\u2019t get out of my mind after coveting the poster online. More recently, I was asked why I didn\u2019t just buy a reprint online for cheap, and momentarily balked at the question. To me, the poster\u2019s value comes from its age and its story. The paper has yellowed with age, and its creases remind me that, at one time, someone folded it up after the movie finished its run in Polish theaters, uncertain of where it would end up next. But for a while, it was admired, maybe even adored by onlookers. It traveled the world to end up in my home. A reprint wouldn\u2019t have any of that history. It would simply be a copy, made to make money instead of telling a story.<\/p>\n

During \u201cThe Christophers,\u201d as I weighed the film\u2019s discussion of authenticity against Soderbergh\u2019s views on AI, I thought of his words, \u201cYou show me a new tool, I want to get my hands on it and see what\u2019s going on.\u201d As genAI has proliferated creative spaces over the last few years, its rise has been accompanied by the strange, baseless idea that people have a creative imperative to try out new technology, which is nothing more than smoke and mirrors to cloud a lack of moral character. Artificial intelligence isn\u2019t akin to the forced switch from film to digital projection; no one is demanding that filmmakers of Soderbergh\u2019s caliber incorporate AI into their process.<\/p>\n

But what AI does present is a choice between authenticity and convenience, ideas and creative sterility. As Lori and Julian near the end of their time together, they begin to understand that, with patience and a human touch, the Christophers can be finished without being forged. Time revealed a path forward that doesn\u2019t demand artistic debasement. The easiest option isn\u2019t the best one, after all. Here\u2019s hoping Soderbergh realizes that, too.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/p>\n

about films that spark creativity<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Steven Soderbergh is a man of both expedience and innovation. In the last 15 months, he\u2019s had three…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":397530,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[345,343,344,85,46,125],"class_list":{"0":"post-397529","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-artificial-intelligence","8":"tag-ai","9":"tag-artificial-intelligence","10":"tag-artificialintelligence","11":"tag-il","12":"tag-israel","13":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=397529"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397529\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/397530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=397529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=397529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=397529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}