The theme of "AIonScreen" may not be difficult to understand. The company will fund human-made short films that explore the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence. "Over the next 18 months, we will work with Range to commission visionary filmmakers to create original stories that explore the complex relationship between humans and artificial intelligence," Google said in a blog post.
Making movies about artificial intelligence is not a fantasy, nor is it unheard of. Filmmakers have been doing this for more than a century. The 1927 German science fiction film Metropolis was one of the earliest attempts to depict artificial intelligence in the media. Subsequently, the intelligent robots in "Star Wars", the robot Rosie in "The Jetsons", the robot Jarvis in "Iron Man", etc. also appeared one after another. The movie "Her" released in 2013, with Scarlett Johansson dubbing AI, explored the relationship between humans and AI.
Movies and TV shows like the sci-fi series "The Terminator," the psychological thriller "Ex Machina" and the sitcom "Black Mirror" also show what can happen when artificial intelligence gets out of control. Meanwhile, cartoons like Wall-E are proving the potential for AI robots to demonstrate care and emotion.
Google said: "We are looking for stories that resonate deeply on a human level, exploring the emotional and moral dilemmas that arise when our lives are intertwined with intelligent machines." Range's production arm, RangeStudios, will provide the filmmakers with development and production expertise.
Google has partnered with two filmmakers whose short films will be released later this year. One, "Sweetwater," tells the story of the son of a deceased celebrity who returns to his childhood home "where a fan letter reveals a shocking artificial intelligence that forces him to come to terms with his mother's legacy." The other is "Lucid," which tells the story of a couple who longs to escape their stifling reality and make a desperate bid for a revolutionary dream-sharing device.
The search giant is open to ideas and submissions across different genres, including sci-fi, drama and thrillers. Google said that interested filmmakers can submit relevant project ideas directly to RangeMedia, and the company plans to adapt some of these short films into feature films.
Google's efforts in artificial intelligence aren't limited to chatbots. It partnered with Universal Studios Las Vegas to recreate an 86-year-old movie on a 160,000-square-foot LED screen.