Documentary producers release new ethical AI guidelines for film-makers

The Archival Producers Alliance (APA), a volunteer group of more than 300 documentary producers and researchers formed in response to concerns over the use of generative AI in nonfiction film, developed the guidelines over the course of a year, after publishing an open letter in the Hollywood Reporter demanding more guardrails for the industry. The guidelines, announced at the Camden Film Festival, are not intended to dismiss the possibilities of a technology that is already shaping all forms of visual storytelling, but to “to reaffirm the journalistic values that the documentary community has long held”.

“In a world where it is becoming difficult to distinguish between a real photograph and a generated one, we believe it’s absolutely pivotal to understand the ways generative AI could impact nonfiction storytelling,” said Stephanie Jenkins, APA’s co-director, in a statement.

Dozens of prominent documentary film organizations endorsed the guidelines at launch, including the Documentary Producers Alliance (DPA) and the International Documentary Association (IDA), as well as over 50 individual film-makers such as Michael Moore, Ken Burns and Rory Kennedy.

“Documentary is a truth-seeking art practice, but the nature of truth has always been mutable,” Dominic Willsdon, executive director of the IDA, said. “GenAI will bring all sorts of new and profound mutations, some fruitful, some harmful.” APA’s guidelines “can help the documentary field navigate this first phase of wider AI adoption”.

Rather than rejecting the use of generative AI outright, the group encourages consideration based in four overarching principles: the value of primary sources, transparency, legal considerations and ethical considerations of creating human simulations.