The second season of the Amazon Prime series “House of David” used between 350 and 400 shots created with generative artificial intelligence. Kat Tenbarge reports for WIRED that this is more than four times the amount used in the show’s first season. Showrunner Jon Erwin said his production company, The Wonder Project, used AI to create large-scale scenes that were otherwise outside the budget.
The technology was mainly used for battle sequences with large crowds, but also for landscapes, fortresses, and fires. Erwin explained that the cost of creating these shots with AI was “minuscule” compared to traditional visual effects methods. He said his team combined 10 to 15 different tools from companies like Runway, Luma, Google, and Adobe.
While the biblical drama is popular with its target Christian audience, the use of AI in filmmaking is highly debated in Hollywood. Figures like director Guillermo del Toro have voiced strong opposition. Director Justine Bateman told WIRED that AI does not solve a problem in an industry with more workers than jobs, but rather serves to increase profit margins for executives.
In contrast, Erwin sees AI as a fundamental change that will allow more projects to be made by lowering costs. He is open about his use of the technology and encourages other filmmakers to do the same. According to the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA, major studios are currently taking a cautious approach to implementing AI.
