Synthetic Sincerity

Can artificial intelligence be taught genuineness and human-like complexity? Director Marc Isaacs and the academic research project The Synthetic Sincerity Lab are trying to find out what artificial intelligence can learn about the people in the director’s previous documentaries, as well as their experiences and ways of being. Can a Uyghur chef use artificial intelligence to give voice to things that would otherwise remain unsaid?

Synthetic Sincerity had its premiere in the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and it addresses the relationship between humans and technology as well as the limits and possibilities of duplicating humanity by combining documentary storytelling and scripted fiction. The director and the scientists with their life stories become a vital part of the story. The human faces rendered on the screen by artificial intelligence give advice on operating with artificial intelligence. The creative decisions invite us to wonder what genuineness is and who is actually moving the story forward.

The documentary highlights human faces and speech: How does the development of artificial intelligence affect the way we react to one another? And what is the future of documentaries in a world where almost everything is duplicable?