IFFK 2024

Can AI do a Tagore? IFFK open forum sees heated debate

Thiruvananthapuram: The debate over ‘art vs artificial intelligence’ which has been going on across the world of late resonated in the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) on Sunday. An open forum on ‘cinema in the age of AI’ discussed various aspects of the cutting-edge technology and its application in films, before the session concluded with an episode of a heated exchange of ideas.

A remark made by young filmmaker Krishnendu Kalesh that AI could imitate even a poet of the stature of Rabindranath Tagore led to an argument which got extended beyond the session. The session was held on the premises of Tagore theatre.

As the Prappida director made his remarks one of the members of the audience stood up and contested his claim calling it foolishness. The delegate, Jayan Kaipra, identified himself as someone who works in the field of AI claimed that the technology can never do what a great mind like Tagore does. He was, however, confronted by a group of youngsters, also identified themselves as AI enthusiasts. Kaipra did not want to stretch the debate, and the attempt by the youth to do a demonstration on whether ChatGPT, the most popular generative AI tool, can produce a poem in Tagore’s style also ended inconclusively. After a point, both sides sort of backed off.

Sreedevi P Aravind, director of the Department of Malayalam, Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University, who was one of the panellists, told Onmanorama that Krishnendu’s point was that artists need not be afraid of AI. “We only have to look at AI as a creative challenge. AI may be able to adapt an artist’s style, but not the artist. That was his point,” Sreedevi explained to Onmanorama.
In the end, it seemed like the opposing parties were actually on the same page. Nisam Asaf, a PhD scholar from JNU, Delhi, moderated the session.