Spain Ventures into AI-Crafted Cinema as Hollywood Debates Its Identity
In the heart of Europe, Spain's film and television industries are making a significant leap forward by integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies into their creative and production workflows. This progressive move, overseen by the Spanish government under the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, is reshaping the audiovisual landscape in Spain and beyond.
The integration of AI is evident in various aspects of production. With prominent players like Netflix democratising access to AI tools, filmmakers can now create sophisticated effects, such as AI-driven de-aging, virtual sets, and efficient scene rendering at reduced costs. This trend is reflected in Spain through cooperation with global platforms and the adoption of AI tools for storyboarding, editing, and dubbing.
One area where AI is making a notable impact is dubbing. The audiovisual sector in Spain is addressing the impact of AI on voice actors, with industry groups such as PASAVE actively seeking contractual clauses to prohibit the use of actors’ voices for AI training without explicit consent. This push for regulated AI use rather than outright bans indicates a focus on protecting creative labour and consumers within a legal framework.
The Spanish government is enforcing the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, which came into force in early 2025. Spain’s Artificial Intelligence Supervisory Agency, operational since February 2025 with a staff of about 80, enforces prohibitions on risky AI practices and ensures AI development aligns with regulatory standards.
The creative sector, including Spanish audiovisual authors, face challenges with AI training models using copyrighted materials. Collective licensing mechanisms are proposed as a more fitting approach over existing text and data mining exceptions, aiming for fair remuneration of authors whose works are utilized by AI systems.
Spain's media industry is showing a growing appetite for innovation, as seen in events like the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, which engage with AI technologies through sponsorships by AI solution providers. This ongoing effort to incorporate AI advances into audiovisual storytelling and global distribution networks is reflected in productions like "Here," a film that used AI-powered tools for image synthesis, animation, and post-production, eliminating the need for on-screen actors or physical locations.
The controversy surrounding AI in filmmaking centres on concerns about authenticity, transparency, and ethical use. Audiences and creators worry about AI-generated content being mistaken for human work. However, filmmakers like Daniel H. Torrado, director of "The Great Reset," a sci-fi thriller that debuted as Spain's first fully AI-generated feature film at the 2025 Berlin Film Festival, argue that AI allows them to focus on storytelling that moves and connects with the audience.
This push into AI-generated content comes amid global debates about AI's role in filmmaking and all art in general. Spain's media industry is exploring AI for more creative purposes, as reflected by the experimental news show "Telediario," set in the year 2088, which was created using generative AI by the Human XR Lab at the Universidad del Atlántico Medio.
In conclusion, Spain is actively embracing AI in film and television, striking a balance between innovation and regulation. The government's focus on ethical, inclusive, and beneficial use, including strict labeling requirements for AI-generated content and significant fines for non-compliance, underscores this commitment. As the world continues to grapple with the implications of AI in creative industries, Spain is paving the way with a proactive and thoughtful approach.
AI technologies are being adopted for storyboarding, editing, and dubbing in Spain's film and television industries, enabling the creation of sophisticated effects at reduced costs (technology, movies-and-tv, Spain). The Spanish government is enforcing the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, which includes prohibitions on risky AI practices and ensures AI development aligns with regulatory standards (government, AI, Spain, Act). Concerns about AI-generated content being mistaken for human work have arisen, but filmmakers argue that AI allows them to focus on storytelling that connects with the audience (AI, movies-and-tv, authenticity).
