On Sunday, August 10th, 2026, as Singaporeans watched the annual National Day Parade, an AI-generated short film titled Bersama Majulah captured widespread attention. The four-minute video, a spin-off from the human-written, AI-realised Spore Fall series, portrays a spore pathogenic outbreak spreading through the fictional city of Lionara, which closely resembles Singapore’s skyline, including landmarks like Marina Bay Sands, the ArtScience Museum, and the Merlion.

Joel Boh, creator and showrunner of Spore Fall, Southeast Asia’s first human-written, AI-realised transmedia franchise, acknowledged mixed reactions to the film. Despite some criticism labeling the work as “AI slop,” the short film achieved a high viewing retention rate of 85 to 93 percent on YouTube.

“We’ve seen everything from genuine curiosity to passionate critique. The fact that people are talking – whether in support or in criticism – tells us the film is landing as intended. We view the debate as a healthy sign of cultural impact,” Boh told This Week in Asia.

Boh further explained that while the story arcs and character motivations—the “soul of the work”—are crafted by humans, AI is employed primarily for executing environments, visual effects, and scaling production. He noted that audiences often watch the film through to the end even if only to leave negative comments, reflecting a strong desire for connection tempered by skepticism about AI-generated content.

This event highlights ongoing conversations about AI’s evolving role in film and media, particularly in Southeast Asia.

Sources