Two Singapore-made films created using artificial intelligence, titled Bersama Majulah and Trace Project, are set to premiere on Sunday, August 9, coinciding with Singapore's National Day. Both films tell fictional stories inspired by Singapore and have sparked debate online, with some critics dismissing them as "AI slop" and questioning the increasing use of generative AI in the film industry.

Bersama Majulah (Malay for "Together Onwards") is a short film produced by Singapore-based AI studio Edenstone. It depicts a National Day Parade in the fictional country of Lionara, featuring iconic landmarks such as Marina Bay and the Merlion, disrupted by a deadly spore outbreak that turns people into zombies. The film was created by local showrunner Joel Boh, with Golden Horse-winning producer Chan Gin Kai as executive producer and a theme song by local musician Dharma Sadasivan. It is a spin-off of Edenstone's AI animation series Spore Fall and will be released on the series' website.

The hour-long Trace Project follows Lin Jia Jun, Singapore's first astronaut to set foot on Mars after humanity launches the fictional Mars Footprints Programme to establish a new civilization following Earth's collapse.

In a press release, Edenstone said it expected Bersama Majulah to generate "widespread public discourse," viewing the public debate as "a sign of cultural impact." On the film's social media pages, some commenters responded with encouraging messages.

Opposition to AI-generated creative work has also emerged from parts of the film industry. For example, The New York Times reported that the Writers Guild of America East ended its 12-year partnership with the Urbanworld Film Festival in July after the festival introduced a new program showcasing AI films.

These developments highlight ongoing tensions and discussions about the role of AI in creative fields, especially filmmaking.

Sources