When I make films with AI, I sometimes notice something unexpected. AI often produces images that are slightly different from what I originally imagined. But when I see those results, I sometimes understand more clearly what I actually wanted to create. In that sense, AI does not simply follow my intention. It can also reflect something back to me.
At such moments, the boundary of authorship becomes less clear. Am I the author of the work, or is AI also participating in the creative process? But when I think about filmmaking itself, perhaps this question is not entirely new. Film has always been created together with the memories of other people. The light on a film set, an actor’s performance, and the choices made by a director are all shaped by previous experiences, images, and emotions. And finally, a film connects with the memories of its audience. In that moment, the work becomes something more than the intention of its creator.
Our memories are also not made only from our own experiences. They are mixed with stories we have heard from others, films we have watched, photographs we have seen, and novels we have read. We are constantly influenced by these different forms of media, and through them, we construct and live our own stories. I see generative AI as an extreme form of this process: a vast accumulation of human expression that crosses time, place, and culture.
In this talk, rather than offering a clear answer, I would like to share some of the questions and ideas that have emerged through my experience of making films with this kind of collective memory.Perhaps this seminar, too, will only become complete when these ideas connect with the memories and experiences of those who are watching.

Takeshi KUSHIDA, born in Osaka in 1982, is a Japanese film director and screenwriter working at Pyramid Film in Tokyo. His debut feature, Woman of the Photographs (2020), screened at international film festivals including Tokyo, Fantasia, and FrightFest. The film received 40 awards and was released in 10 countries through Motion Picture Exchange (MPX).
His second feature, My Mother’s Eyes (2023), was selected by leading international genre film festivals and has been distributed worldwide by REEL SUSPECTS. His third feature, Acting for Beginners (2024), was produced for the opening gala of the SKIP City International D-Cinema Festival.
His latest AI-generated short film, Last Dream (2025), won the top AI prize at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, where it was praised as “a groundbreaking work that will change the future of AI cinema.”
Kushida is currently exploring new forms of filmmaking that combine live action, animation, and generative AI, with a particular interest in memory, authorship, and the evolving relationship between human creativity and technology.