The Russo Brothers have defended their use of AI in new film The Electric State, arguing that people “don’t understand” its significance.
The director team of Anthony and Joe Russo, who helmed Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, have also directed the new Netflix sci-fi action film, which stars Millie Bobby Brown as a teenage girl travelling across a post-apocalyptic America with a robot companion looking for her missing brother.
The film makes use of AI for voice modulation, and in a new interview with The Times, the brothers have defended their decision, with AI remaining a highly contentious issue in the entertainment industry.
Joe Russo said that the extent of their AI use is “something any ten-year-old could do after watching a TikTok video”. He added: “There’s a lot of finger-pointing and hyperbole because people are afraid. They don’t understand. But ultimately you’ll see AI used more significantly.”
“Also, AI is in its generative state now, where it has, as we call them, hallucinations. You can’t do mission-critical work with something that hallucinates. That is a reason self-driving cars haven’t taken over, or why AI surgery is not taking place worldwide. But in its generative state, AI is best suited towards creativity.”
The Russos also directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, and have gone on to oversee the relative flops The Gray Man with Ryan Gosling and Cherry with Tom Holland.
It was first reported last year that they were in talks to return to Marvel to direct the next two Avengers films, and that is now the case, with Avengers: Doomsday set to be released in May 2026 and Avengers: Secret Wars to follow in May 2027.
The Electric State is based on the 2018 illustrated novel of the same name by Simon Stålenhag. In a two-star review, NME have said: “No doubt kids will love this curious, retro-future tale with orange VW vans and not-so-subtle nods to Apocalypse Now as Wagner’s bombastic ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ plays out over one of the film’s many battles. But you won’t be able to shake the feeling that there’s a lack of heart and soul here. Thank God the Russo brothers are heading back in the MCU for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.”
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