Artificial intelligence (AI) still needs to prove that it can win over audiences in cinemas. At least in China, the first major attempt to produce a feature film entirely with the technology did not have the expected result. Sanxingdui: Future Past grossed only 1.7 million yuan (approximately R$1.3 million) at the box office, despite having cost tens of millions of yuan.
The production was released in Beijing (China) and attracted attention for using AI in virtually all of its visual design. Technology also played a role in the sound effects, while editing was handled by human professionals.
The commercial performance, however, fell far short of expectations. The Guardian reports that it watched the feature in a virtually empty cinema in the Chinese capital.
The experience also did not particularly impress critics. The story presents a futuristic society that outsourced all decision-making to algorithms and AI systems, causing a global catastrophe. To avert the disaster, the characters must discover a secret code associated with the bronze sculptures of Sanxingdui, which are linked to the ancient kingdom of Shu.
The narrative mixes astronauts, Ancient Egypt, and journeys through spacetime vortices.The dialogues also highlight the use of an internal screenwriting tool called Bowen, developed by the production company itself.
Investors still bet on AI-made cinema
- Despite the failure of Sanxingdui: Future Past, professionals in the Chinese film industry believe the production represents only the beginning of a new phase for the sector;
- According to Yu Yaqin, an independent film critic in Beijing, the feature’s main problem was simply that it was not entertaining. Nevertheless, she believes films produced with AI will continue to receive investment in the country;
- A professional working in screenplay development in the Chinese capital said that most of the projects she received in recent months involved AI productions;
- Investor interest is primarily tied to the possibility of reducing costs. According to her, activities that previously required teams of approximately 100 people could be carried out by just five professionals with the help of technology;
- This prospect also raises concerns about the future of employment in the audiovisual sector.
Despite the failure of Sanxingdui: Future Past, professionals in the Chinese film industry believe the production represents only the beginning of a new phase for the sector – Image: metamorworks/Shutterstock
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China has already produced thousands of AI-generated productions
The failure of the feature film does not mean that the Chinese audience has completely rejected AI-produced content. The country already has a significant industry of AI-generated microdramas. These are short productions, generally with episodes lasting one to three minutes, developed for consumption on mobile phones.
According to The Guardian, tens of thousands of such productions are uploaded to streaming platforms every month. An industry that virtually did not exist just a few years ago already generates approximately US$ 3 billion (around R$ 16.5 billion).
One explanation for the poor performance of Sanxingdui: Future Past may lie precisely in competition with this format. While the feature film cost 50 yuan (around R$ 37) per ticket, similar content could be found for free on mobile phones.
A film blogger summarized the difference: AI-made microdramas offer a way to pass the time, while films shown in cinemas need to provide an experience that justifies the audience's investment.
For critic Yu Yaqin, audiences still seem more willing to pay for productions that offer a truly differentiated experience.
Rodrigo Mozelli is a journalist graduated from São Paulo Methodist University (UMESP) and is currently a writer for Olhar Digital.
