The Future of Cinema:The Invisible, Narrative, and the Era of Artificial Intelligence

Mar 11

Cinema has evolved from a medium of mechanical reproduction to one increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence, yet its fundamental power lies not in technological advancement but in its capacity to evoke the invisible spaces between what is shown and what is felt. As AI reshapes filmmaking processes, the industry faces a crucial question: whether to embrace the limitless possibilities of technical perfection or to preserve the essential ambiguity that has always defined cinema's most profound artistic achievements.

"Roundhay Garden Scene", filmed by Louis Le Prince in 1888

The Historical Foundations of Cinematic Ambiguity

Cinema, from its origins, has been an art of boundaries: between reality and fiction, the visible and the invisible, sound and silence 1. The first fixed image by Niépce in 1826 captured the world but also marked the beginning of what Walter Benjamin would later call the domestication of the gaze 2. Benjamin's seminal work "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" warned of the loss of "aura" in the era of technical reproducibility, arguing that mechanical reproduction devalues the uniqueness of artistic works 1 3.

Silent cinema, with its dependence on visual suggestion and spectator imagination, opened a space of freedom where silence allowed each viewer to fill the voids with their own thoughts and emotions 4. André Bazin noted that this limitation was, paradoxically, a source of expressive richness, as the absence of voice forced filmmakers to suggest rather than explain 5 6. Bazin's theoretical framework emphasized the objective reality of cinema, arguing that film's power lay not in what it added to reality but in what it revealed of it 5.

The arrival of sound and color transformed cinematic language but also reduced the space for ambiguity and personal interpretation 7. Michel Chion argued that sound was not merely a technical addition but an ontological transformation of the medium, fundamentally altering how audiences experience cinema 7. Color, rather than enhancing symbolism, often saturated the image, making it more literal and less evocative 4.

However, some directors resisted this trend toward literal representation 89. Buñuel and Dalí, with "Un Chien Andalou," demonstrated that cinema could be dream and trauma, not just narration 8 10 11. The film, born from the confluence of two dreams, transgressed canonical narrative schemes and constantly referred to delirium and dreams through both produced images and non-linear temporal sequences 8 10. Hitchcock, with his theory of suspense, reminded audiences that true terror lies in anticipation, not in the explosion: what is not seen is more powerful than what is shown 12 13.

The Contemporary AI Revolution in Cinema

Today, artificial intelligence is redefining cinema once again 14 15 16. According to recent studies, 48% of film professionals already use AI tools for screenwriting, casting, and editing 15 16. The generation of hyperrealistic images and the creation of digital actors allow content production at unprecedented speed and scale 14 17. The global AI in film market is projected to grow from $1.28 billion in 2024 to $1.60 billion in 2025, with expectations of reaching $3.75 billion by 2029 14.

The statistics reveal the extent of AI integration across the industry 17 18. Approximately 75% of film studios have integrated AI tools into their production processes, while AI-driven scripts are being used in 30% of new film projects 17.Editors report that AI editing tools have reduced post-production time by at least 20% for 60% of professionals, and AI algorithms have improved visual effects rendering times by an average of 35% 17. Furthermore, 65 new AI-centric film studios have launched globally since 2022, with 30 or more having launched in 2024 and early 2025 18.

However, this technical abundance poses a fundamental risk: sensory saturation may erode narrative depth and the mental space necessary for imagination 19. As Sherry Turkle observed in "Alone Together," when everything can be seen, the only thing that matters is what is told 19. Turkle's ethnographic research revealed how our dependence on technology affects human relationships and our capacity for deep engagement 19.

Narrative as an Act of Resistance

In this context, narrative becomes an act of resistance 20. The future of cinema does not reside in technical perfection or the accumulation of effects, but in the capacity to structure tension, symbol, and conflict: the invisible architecture that gives meaning to stories 20. Black and white, for example, is not merely aesthetic nostalgia but an ethical decision: a renunciation of excess and a return to the essential, where light and shadow dialogue without distractions 4 21.

Béla Balázs expressed this concept eloquently in his "Theory of the Film," arguing that cinema's power lies in its ability to reveal the innermost secrets of life through isolated shots and close-ups 4 21. For Balázs, the new theme revealed by film art was not spectacular natural phenomena but perhaps "a solitary tear slowly welling up in the corner of a human eye" 4.This emphasis on the microscopic and the intimate represents cinema's unique capacity to find profound meaning in the seemingly insignificant.

The metaphor of the "invisible line"—a concept that traverses philosophy, literature, and art—acquires special relevance in this scenario 22 23. Plato distinguished between the visible and intelligible worlds, suggesting that true understanding requires crossing an interior frontier 22. In Plato's divided line theory, the division between the visible and intelligible represents a divide between the material and the ideal, the foundation of most philosophical dualisms 22.

In contemporary analysis, Maxim Samson's "Invisible Lines" explores how boundaries and borders shape our understanding of the world 23. Samson argues that invisible lines—whether cultural, geographical, or psychological—mold our perception and decisions even when we cannot see them 23. These lines are not obstacles but thresholds that invite transformation and self-knowledge 23.

The Poetics of the Invisible in Future Cinema

The cinema of the future will not be merely a visual spectacle but a space to explore the invisible: silences, voids, unresolved tensions 20. As Andrei Tarkovsky wrote in "Sculpting in Time," art exists not to explain reality but to expand it 20. Tarkovsky's central thesis was that "the dominant, all-powerful factor of the film image is rhythm, expressing the course of time within the frame" 20. This temporal dimension represents cinema's unique capacity to capture and manipulate the invisible flow of time itself.

In a world where artificial intelligence can generate perfect images and sounds, true narrative power resides in what is not shown, in what the spectator must intuit or imagine 15 16. Story, conflict, and symbol will be the pillars of a new creative resistance, where imperfection and ambiguity will be more valuable than technical perfection 20.

The poetry of Alootook Ipellie, particularly in "Walking Both Sides of an Invisible Border," provides a metaphorical framework for understanding this liminal space 24. Ipellie's work describes the difficulties of maintaining cultural identity while navigating between opposing worlds, using metaphors to convey the constant negotiation between different cultural realities 24. This experience of walking both sides of an invisible border captures the essence of cinema's power to exist simultaneously in multiple realities.

Philosophical Implications and Cultural Resistance

The philosophical implications of AI in cinema extend beyond technical considerations to fundamental questions about human creativity and cultural expression 19 15. The controversy surrounding AI use in recent films demonstrates the tension between technological efficiency and artistic authenticity 15. When films like "Emilia Pérez" and "The Brutalist" face criticism for their use of AI, the industry confronts questions about what constitutes genuine artistic expression 15.

This resistance to AI integration reflects deeper concerns about the commodification of creativity and the potential loss of human agency in artistic production 19 16. The Hollywood writer strikes of 2023 identified AI as a key issue, resulting in tentative agreements to regulate its use within the industry 15. These developments suggest that the future of cinema will be shaped not only by technological capabilities but by cultural negotiations about the role of human creativity in an AI-dominated landscape.

The Synthesis of Technology and Humanity

The future of cinema will be defined not by technology alone but by the capacity to evoke the invisible, to cross symbolic frontiers, and to invite the spectator to participate in the construction of meaning 20 22. Like Ipellie's narrator walking both sides of an invisible border, cinematic art will continue exploring the limits between the visible and the hidden, between reality and dream 24.

This synthesis requires filmmakers to embrace what Tarkovsky called the "poetic logic" of cinema—a logic that transcends literal representation to access deeper truths about human experience 20. In the age of AI, this poetic logic becomes even more crucial as a means of preserving cinema's capacity to surprise, disturb, and transform audiences through the power of suggestion rather than explicit demonstration.

Conclusion: Cinema as Perpetual Resistance

In this sense, cinema will always be an act of resistance: a defense of mystery, depth, and humanity in the age of artificial intelligence 20 15. The industry's rapid adoption of AI tools—with 48% of professionals already using artificial intelligence for screenwriting, casting, and editing—represents both an opportunity and a challenge 15 16. While AI can enhance efficiency and expand creative possibilities, the essential power of cinema lies in its ability to create meaning through what is not shown, through the spaces between images, and through the invisible connections that bind narrative elements together.

The future of cinema will therefore be determined not by the sophistication of AI technology but by filmmakers' ability to maintain the delicate balance between technical innovation and human insight 14 15. As Benjamin warned about the loss of aura in mechanical reproduction, the cinema of the AI era must guard against the loss of the very ambiguity and mystery that have always been its greatest strengths 1 3.

Cinema's enduring power lies in its capacity to function as both mirror and window—reflecting human experience while opening new possibilities for understanding 5 20. In the age of artificial intelligence, this dual function becomes even more critical as a means of preserving the essentially human dimensions of storytelling that no algorithm can fully replicate 19 15. The invisible architecture of narrative—the careful structuring of tension, symbol, and meaning—remains cinema's most powerful tool for creating lasting impact on audiences and culture alike 4 20.

https://www.imdb.com/es/title/tt0020530/

David Vásquez