Eliza McNitt Explores AI and Human Connection in New Film Ancestra
Eliza McNitt has built a reputation for pushing the boundaries of new media. Her past projects, like Fistful of Stars and Spheres, used virtual reality to explore cosmic phenomena. Now, with her latest short film Ancestra, she turns to AI to tell a deeply personal story—her own traumatic birth.
Produced in collaboration with Google DeepMind and Darren Aronofsky’s Primordial Soup, Ancestra blends live-action performances with AI-generated visuals. The film follows McNitt’s mother (played by Audrey Corsa) as she navigates an emergency delivery, reflecting on the universal connections between all living things. The result is a surreal mix of human emotion and artificial imagery, culminating in an AI-generated baby modeled after McNitt herself.
The film is more than just an artistic experiment—it’s part of Google’s broader effort to legitimize AI as a creative tool. However, this comes with ethical concerns. Google’s AI models, including Veo, have been trained on copyrighted material, raising questions about the origins of the technology powering projects like Ancestra.
In an interview, McNitt defended her use of AI, arguing that it allowed her to visualize experiences impossible to capture with traditional filmmaking. She emphasized that while AI can generate visuals, human performances remain irreplaceable. For Ancestra, she worked closely with DeepMind engineers to refine AI prompts, ensuring the technology served the story rather than replacing human creativity.
McNitt also acknowledged the ethical dilemmas surrounding AI. She stressed the importance of respecting artists and avoiding the exploitation of copyrighted works in future AI development. Despite the controversy, she believes AI can be a powerful tool when used responsibly, keeping human stories at the center.
Ancestra stands as a provocative example of AI’s potential in filmmaking—but also highlights the unresolved tensions between innovation and artistic integrity. As AI continues to evolve, the debate over its role in creative industries is far from over.
