Danny Boyle Confirms 'Ink' Used AI to Animate Archival Photos and Generate Digital Mice

Director Danny Boyle has confirmed that his new film "Ink" — which opened the 83rd Venice Film Festival before screening at Telluride — used AI technology in approximately 30 seconds of footage. Speaking to Vanity Fair at Telluride, Boyle said the production used AI to animate archival photographs and to generate digital mice scurrying around the newsroom set of The Sun. He traced the animal-effects decision to backlash from PETA over his use of real chimpanzees in 2002's "28 Days Later," framing AI here as a straightforward extension of conventional VFX rather than a replacement for human performers.

Boyle was explicit in distinguishing this limited use from more contentious AI applications, such as replacing actors, and called for fair compensation whenever the technology is used in that capacity. The Netflix-distributed film — adapted from James Graham's stage play and starring Jack O'Connell, Guy Pearce, and Claire Foy — arrives amid a broader wave of festival titles facing scrutiny over AI usage. Boyle's direct and specific public disclosure stands out against the more guarded responses other filmmakers have offered when confronted with similar questions this season.