'AI slop' or not? 2 Singapore films set for National Day release spark debate

Two Singapore films, Bersama Majulah and Trace Project, set for National Day release, have ignited online debate. Critics dismiss them as "AI slop," questioning the growing role of generative AI in filmmaking. Bersama Majulah, a short film by AI studio Edenstone, depicts a National Day Parade disrupted by a zombie outbreak in a fictional Singapore called Lionara.

The film includes familiar Singaporean landmarks and was created by showrunner Joel Boh, executive producer Chan Gin Kai, and musician Dharma Sadasivan. Trace Project, produced by AI studio FizzDragon, follows Singapore's first astronaut to Mars, Lin Jia Jun. Both films have drawn criticism for their AI-generated visuals, with some describing them as "AI slop" or "lifeless."

Responding to the criticism, FizzDragon's CEO defended Trace Project as an experiment, emphasizing that AI only handled execution layers like environments and visual effects. Bersama Majulah's creator, on the other hand, described the film as human-written with AI realization, stating that AI only handled the execution layer, not the creative aspects.

The debate highlights the growing international interest in AI-generated filmmaking, with some seeing it as a cost-cutting tool and others emphasizing the importance of human creativity and emotional authenticity in cinema.