Can AI write film reviews? Riyadh's critics conference takes on the question

Who gets to tell you whether a film is worth your evening: a human critic or an algorithm? That question is front and centre in Riyadh, where the fourth International Film Criticism Conference has just opened.

What happened?

The conference is organised by the Saudi Film Commission (the government body that supports the country's film industry). It runs over two days, Thursday and Friday, and brings together critics, researchers and filmmakers from different countries.

The programme mixes discussion panels, workshops and two film screenings. Commission CEO Abdullah Al-Qahtani said criticism is a pillar of film culture and of a mature industry. In his view, a lasting film sector needs more than production capacity and new markets. It also needs a cultural environment that can read and debate what gets made.

What is on the agenda?

Three themes lead the discussions: the memory of film criticism in the Saudi press, the critical article in the age of artificial intelligence, and Saudi cinema caught between real-life stories and local heritage.

The first main panel looks back at the time before social media and streaming platforms, when print newspapers were the main place to read about films. It also asks how the language of criticism changed once it moved online. Speakers include journalist Mohammed Al-Rashidi, film writer Mohammed Bazeid, director Abdulmohsen Al-Dhabaan and critic Ahmed Al-Ayyad.

The second panel asks where the line sits between human critical vision and machine processing of information. Can criticism keep its value when AI helps produce content? Dr Musab Al-Omari, critic Samaher Al-Damen, film critic Ali Saeed and Nada Al-Luhaidan, programme manager of the Saudi Film Festival, will take part.

Daha önce ne olmuştu?

The conference was first held in Saudi Arabia in 2023. According to general supervisor Meshari Al-Khayat, the first three editions drew more than 29,000 visitors from over 20 countries and more than 180 specialists. Accompanying events reached eight other Saudi cities besides Riyadh.

Al-Qahtani added that the commission hopes Saudi cinema will do more than take part. It wants to contribute to the global conversation, with voices rooted in the Saudi experience.