UAE: Would you watch a movie scripted, animated, directed by AI?

Artificial intelligence is not just writing scripts anymore; it is directing, animating, and editing entire movies. From short social media clips to full-length experimental films, AI-generated cinema is emerging as one of the newest frontiers in storytelling, raising questions about cost, creativity, and even climate impact.

At the launch of the $1-million AI Film Award in Dubai, part of the upcoming 1 Billion Followers Summit, industry experts described how far the technology has come. The competition includes short films where at least 70 per cent of the content is generated using Google Gemini’s tools, such as Veo, Imagen and Flow.

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For Najeeb Jarrar, Regional Director of Product and Marketing at Google, Middle East and Africa, AI is not replacing filmmakers; it is expanding what they can do. “It’s like any movie or production, it does have costs,” he said. “There’s a cost for the creator, for the editor, for the computer, and for using the AI itself. It depends on the vision of the storyteller.”

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He added that cost is not what defines a film’s success. “We’ve all seen movies that cost hundreds of millions of dollars and failed to deliver the story or impact of smaller, simpler ones,” he said. “That’s why creativity and emotional connection matter more than budget.”

A new kind of film production

AI-generated films are made through a combination of text prompts, image generation, voice synthesis and editing tools. The process can be managed by one person or a small team, depending on the complexity of the story. Jarrar compared it to when digital tools like Photoshop or AutoCAD first appeared.

“They didn’t replace artists or architects,” he said. “They helped them work faster and collaborate better. AI is the same; it’s a tool to help creators prototype and share ideas more efficiently.”

Some AI creators said that while the production process is quicker, it is far from effortless. They still spend hours refining prompts, editing visual inconsistencies, and shaping the story. “You are still the director,” Jarrar said. “AI doesn’t replace creativity, it amplifies it.”

Can AI movies find an audience?

Despite scepticism, AI-made videos are already gaining traction online. Ali Muftah, an independent AI filmmaker, told Khaleej Times that audiences are more open than ever to unconventional formats.

“There’s a trend now of AI-made clips where babies ‘speak’ about their first hours of life, and millions are watching them,” the filmmaker said. “People enjoy anything that challenges their imagination. Of course, audiences will always value authentic, human-made cinema, but that doesn’t mean they’ll reject AI-generated ones. It’s just a new form of storytelling.”

For some in the traditional film industry, experimenting with AI has been a turning point. Dubai-based producer Karim Al Saadi, who has spent over two decades working on commercials and independent features, said he was initially sceptical about the technology.

“I thought AI would take away the essence of filmmaking, the chaos, the teamwork, the human touch,” he said. “But after trying some AI tools, I realised they’re not replacing us, they’re removing barriers. I can visualise scenes faster, test lighting ideas, and cut down pre-production time by days.”

Al Saadi said he now uses AI for concept development and editing mockups before bringing in his team for full production. “It’s become part of my workflow,” he said. “I’m not afraid of it anymore. The only thing that still matters is taste, story, and timing; no tool can automate that.”

AI creators noted that distribution largely happens on social media or platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, where algorithms reward novelty and shareability. As AI filmmaking tools become more accessible, some predict these works could soon appear in film festivals or even cinemas.

The environmental question

But AI filmmaking comes with another layer of concern — its environmental cost. Large-scale AI models require significant computing power, which translates into high energy consumption. Some studies estimate that training one advanced model can generate as much carbon as several cars over their lifetime.

Still, advocates said AI could also help reduce waste in traditional film production by limiting travel, set building, and equipment use. “If a creator can produce a whole scene without flying a crew halfway across the world, that’s a win,” said the filmmaker. “It’s about how responsibly we use it.”

A tool, not a takeover

For Jarrar, AI will not replace actors or traditional moviemaking. “At the end of the day, it’s the art of storytelling and the emotions it evokes,” he said. “Whether that comes from an actor, an animation, or something generated by AI; what matters is that the audience feels something.”

As more creators experiment with AI, the line between human and machine-made art may blur further. But as Jarrar put it, “The medium itself doesn’t matter, it’s what the story makes you feel that does.”

Waad Barakat

Staff Writer

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waad@khaleejtimes.com

Waad Barakat is a Special Correspondent covering security topics, from law enforcement to local courts. With a keen eye for human interest stories, she hopes to blend it all with unique Gen Z-inspired content.