Creative Control and Authorship in the Age of AI (2025)

We will explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the concepts of authorship, control, and responsibility in filmmaking. Can we think of AI as a tool, or as a co-creator? And how does its presence influence the ethics, trust, and authenticity of documentary film? Together, we will examine the relationship between the human–as–author and technology- as a tool or collaborator. We will also focus on practical strategies for filmmakers, including how to maintain human responsibility at the center of creation, label AI-generated content transparently, and utilise open-source tools in film production.
Visitors can look forward to an academic panel where experts will offer a theoretical perspective on authorship, control, and AI use in documentary filmmaking. The keynote will be given by director and scholar Dominic Lees, who will focus on questions of how documentary dramaturgy is changing through the emergence of AI. Students can sign up for a morning coffee session and join a discussion on ethical dilemmas, authorship, representation, and audience trust. Who truly decides what a film will look like today? Who holds the camera? These questions will also be part of the panel discussion.
The conference is organized by the Ji.hlava IDFF in conjunction with the Center for Media Ethics and Dialogue (CEMETIK) at the Department of Media Studies and Journalism, Faculty of Social Studies of Masaryk University.
The event is part of the Visegrad Accelerator.