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The Pressures of Directing in the AI Era
Báo Tiền Phong
16/08/2026
17:23
Artificial intelligence is transforming many stages of filmmaking, and the advantage belongs to those who leverage the power of technology while combining it with creativity, emotion, human-centric thinking, and responsibility.
Đạo diễn Phạm Vĩnh Khương tại sự kiện Master AI Filmmaking. Ảnh: NV
Artificial intelligence (AI) is permeating almost every stage of filmmaking, from script development and visual design to setting creation, editing, and post-production. Tasks that once required a large team can now be supported faster and more efficiently.
However, speaking at the Ho Chi Minh City Technology Festival (Conviction 2026), director Pham Vinh Khuong emphasized that the speed and image-generation capabilities of machines do not determine the value of a work.
“AI can help us generate images faster, test more ideas, and reduce certain resource limitations. But technology cannot decide for itself which stories are worth telling, which emotions need to be preserved, or what spirit a frame should convey. Those choices still belong to humans,” director Pham Vinh Khuong analyzed.
This is not just a professional viewpoint. It is also an affirmation that cinema, even when draped in the cloak of modern technology, still originates from the heart, experience, and empathy of the filmmaker.
Hình ảnh trực tiếp tại Ngày hội Công nghệ TP. Hồ Chí Minh. Ảnh: NV
AI can support filmmakers from the concept development stage, character design, and setting construction to sound processing and post-production. Many options can be tested in a shorter time, thereby reducing repetitive tasks during the production process.
However, the capabilities of technology raise questions about the position of the artist. Director Pham Vinh Khuong posed the question: “Will AI kill human craftsmanship?”.
AI can help streamline the filmmaking process and reduce reliance on large equipment or resources. Technology also supports smartphone-based content production, creating more opportunities for individuals or small creative teams to realize their ideas.
Nevertheless, shortening production time does not mean AI can create a complete work on its own. A film still requires humans to define the story, choose the visual language, organize the emotions, and take responsibility for the final message.
The director shared that he has tested AI in various types of products such as short films, feature films, music videos, digital imagery, and historical setting simulations. His unit also introduced the AS - Art Supper/AestheticSynth system, which is applied in the AI-assisted film production process.
Technology is changing how cinematic products are formed. Previously, a director had to coordinate actors, equipment, locations, and the crew. When using AI, filmmakers need to know how to describe ideas, provide prompts, and select the appropriate results from the many options generated by technology.
Hinhf ảnh tại sự kiện. Ảnh: NV
Director Pham Vinh Khuong calls this process a “dialogue with technology.” AI can generate images upon request, but the user must still provide direction, evaluate, and decide which details are retained in the work.
The discussion at Conviction 2026 shows that AI is becoming a new tool in film production. Technology helps filmmakers experiment more and execute ideas that once required significant resources. However, the message emphasized at the event was: “The one who decides the story and the value of the work must still be human.”
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