Director of ‘The Brutalist’ defends his use of AI in the filmmaking process

Period drama “The Brutalist” has sparked controversy after revelations that AI technology was used to enhance Hungarian language pronunciation and create architectural designs, leading to debate about its awards eligibility.

The central controversy: Director Brady Corbet’s film faces scrutiny after editor Dávid Jancsó revealed the use of AI technology to refine Hungarian dialogue pronunciation for leads Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones.

• The AI adjustments focused solely on Hungarian language segments, using technology from Ukrainian company Respeecher to improve specific vowels and letters
• The film’s total budget was under $10 million, with AI technology employed to expedite post-production work
• Both actors worked extensively with dialect coach Tanera Marshall to develop their Hungarian accents

Director’s defense: Corbet strongly maintains that the performances remain authentic and unaltered in their essence.

• Corbet emphasizes that no English language dialogue was modified
• The AI adjustments were described as a “manual process” conducted during post-production
• The director stresses that the goal was to preserve authenticity rather than replace or alter performances

Technical implementation: Native Hungarian speaker and editor Dávid Jancsó provided insight into the practical application of AI in the film.

• Jancsó used his own native Hungarian pronunciation as a reference model for the AI system
• The process primarily involved replacing specific letters rather than wholesale dialogue changes
• AI was also utilized to generate inspiration for architectural drawings, though the final designs were hand-drawn by artists

Industry precedent: Respeecher, the AI company involved, has previously worked on high-profile projects in Hollywood.

• The company created authorized voice recreations for James Earl Jones as Darth Vader
• They also developed a younger version of Mark Hamill’s voice for “The Mandalorian”
• These previous projects established precedent for AI use in major productions

Public reaction: The revelation has sparked intense online debate about the role of AI in award-worthy performances.

• Some argue that AI enhancement should disqualify Brody from awards consideration
• Others maintain that the emotional depth of the performance transcends accent technicalities
• Critics have generally praised both Brody and Jones for their portrayals, with Brody winning a Golden Globe

Looking forward: The controversy surrounding “The Brutalist” raises important questions about the intersection of traditional filmmaking and emerging technologies, particularly as AI tools become more sophisticated and accessible. While the specific use of AI in this case was limited and transparent, the debate highlights the need for clearer industry guidelines regarding technological enhancement of performances and its impact on awards eligibility.