Love, Death & Robots Team Dishes on AI at Red Carpet Premiere

by

Russ Milheim from TopMob attended the premiere of Netflix’s Love, Death + Robots Season 4 on the red carpet. There, creators and actors shared their thoughts on AI and the hurdles they encountered while producing these fresh episodes. In case you didn’t know, this show is an animated compilation, with each segment presenting a distinct science fiction tale—often exploring themes related to love, death, or robots, or a blend of them.

TopMob conversed with a variety of gifted artists and entertainers who contributed to the production, such as voice actors Emily O’Brien and Sumalee Montano, creator Tim Miller, supervising director Jennifer Yuh Nelson, directors Patrick Osborne, Emily Dean, Robert Bisi, and Andy Lyon.

Love, Death + Robots Creative Share Thoughts on AI

“[AI is] Not Figured Out Yet.”

Editor’s Note: The above image is not AI, and is from Season 4 of Love, Death & Robots.

  • TopMob: “The tricky topic of the industry right now is AI. Was that something that you guys ever considered utilizing at any point in the process within the show?”

Jennifer Yuh Nelson: As of now, I believe that AI is still in the process of figuring itself out. In terms of our policy, we choose not to utilize AI. However, it’s possible that artists may be using AI on their own, though we’re unsure since we don’t have that information.

In simpler terms, Patrick Osborne suggests that Blur is a cutting-edge creative company, constantly pushing boundaries and trying out new ideas.

To be honest, these tools have been around for a bit, but I found them somewhat challenging to manipulate effectively. It felt like I couldn’t quite extract the desired results from them, and perhaps I still can’t. Consequently, they didn’t see much use in this context.

In essence, many of the technologies associated with machine learning pipelines overlap with those utilized in real-time by Unreal Engine, given that our creations, including both these platforms, are real-time and interactive, much like video games where you can navigate through them. If desired, they might not have the same level of visual quality…

In ‘The Other Large Ththing’, it is the cat’s fur that stands out, marking the first time such long and fluffy fur has been rendered in Unreal Engine, as far as we know. Remarkable job by the team at AGBO Visual Creatures for achieving this!

Emily Dean: At the moment, I don’t utilize it. However, I’m not completely dismissing it since the sector is evolving in that direction. Nevertheless, I have a strong affinity towards collaborating with real people, so indeed, I lean more towards humans.

Andy Lyon: It seems that AI is the hot topic these days, a technology that some view as beneficial to people while others see it as a potential threat, perhaps even a giant robot destined to wipe out everything. To put it simply, I think everyone is finding it difficult to decide whether they should befriend or fear it. In essence, we’re being cautious so as not to provoke its wrath.

How They Would Expand Love, Death + Robots’ Title With One Word

Philosophy, Drugs, and Cats are Just Some of the Expansions on People’s Minds

  • TopMob: “‘Love, Death and Robots’–If you could add any fourth word to that title, what would it be?”

As a movie enthusiast, it struck me instantly: “Love, Death, and Robots, Seasoned with a Touch of Spice.” It may seem peculiar, but for some reason, the thought of adding a dash of saltiness to the title of this remarkable anthology series felt fitting.

Sumalee Montano: ‘Love, Death + Robots and Fucking!’

Tim Miller: I’d like to offer a thoughtful response. It’s challenging. ‘Love, Death, Robots, and Philosophy.’ That’s what I propose, as I believe there are some compelling narratives to explore about the decisions people make in life. Not overly deep or philosophical, but rather focusing on choices and their implications, could result in an engaging discussion.

Jennifer Yuh Nelson: John Scalzi was a significant contributor to numerous episodes spanning various seasons. He’s one of the original writers, has a fondness for cats, which occasionally finds its way into his work.

As a discerning movie critic, I find myself enthralled by this visually stunning series that feels like a captivating blend of ‘Love, Death, Robots’ and a feline-focused universe – let’s call it ‘Love, Death, Cats’. The reason for the abundance of our feline friends can be attributed to none other than John Scalzi, the talented author behind these tales, who, as you may know, is quite smitten with cats.

1. I don’t particularly enjoy being around cats.

– I don’t have a fondness for felines.
– Cats and I aren’t really compatible.
– I find it hard to take a liking to cats.
– In terms of affinity, cats and I don’t see eye-to-eye.
– It’s not that I dislike cats intensely, but I’m more of a dog person.
– Cats and I just don’t have the same level of camaraderie.

2. Unfortunately, I am allergic to cats.
– I suffer from an allergy to cats.
– Whenever I’m near cats, my symptoms flare up.
– My body doesn’t react well around cats due to an allergy.
– Cats and I don’t mix because of my allergies.
– Due to my allergy, I must avoid contact with cats.

3. In one of my episodes (works of art), a cat makes an appearance. The other one does not. However, it seems that both have feline characters now. Oops!
– One of my creations includes a cat; the other does not. However, it appears that they both contain cats unexpectedly. Whoops!
– In one work, there’s a cat; in another, there isn’t. But it seems that I’ve inadvertently included cats in both pieces now. Darn!
– One of my productions features a cat, while the other doesn’t. However, it turns out that they both have cats after all. My bad!

Emily Dean: “It’s got to be cats, right? I think, I mean, that just kind of rings true, right?”

Andy Lyon: Drugs…

I had no idea about it until Andy Lyon mentioned it, and he’s right, it reminds me of ‘Love, Death, Robots’, but with an undeniable drug influence – there’s no doubt about that.

Most Surprising Challenge Faced on Love, Death + Robots Season 4

“I Wanted to Keep It As Authentic As I Could…”

  • TopMob: “What would you say was the most surprising challenge you personally faced during the process?”

Emily O’Brien: To make it as genuine as possible, I portrayed this woman going through a difficult phase in her life, and I could empathize with this character because it reminded me of a deeply personal experience from my own life. I hope the audience can see that I’ve tried to convey my real-life feelings on screen. So, let’s wait and see. Honestly, I’m feeling quite anxious about how it turned out. On the actual day of filming, there were many tears involved.

Collaborating with Jennifer Yuh Nelson is a truly precious experience for me. A collaborative process with any gifted director is already incredibly rewarding for an actor. But what makes this even more delightful for me is that she, too, is an Asian-American woman. Her approach feels so effortless and natural.

It wasn’t necessarily the biggest hurdle, but collaborating with her was incredibly enjoyable… The world we’re working in, this intricate cyberpunk setting, presents a unique challenge for me as an actor. I want to ensure my performance honors its rich detail and thoughtfulness, as every aspect of it has been carefully crafted.

Sometimes an actor, particularly one with a role like mine, finds that things aren’t predictable – it’s more about going with the flow and improvising. I might tell Jennifer, “I’m not sure what will emerge, but I’ll follow your guidance. Let’s see what happens.

As a film enthusiast, I’m always on the lookout for fresh collaborations with talented directors and studios we’ve had the pleasure of working with in the past. We’re eager to explore new ideas, as we’ve already delved into the extraordinary with the pioneers who push the boundaries of cinematic creativity.

Patrick Osborne: The real hurdle in advanced technology is dealing with cat fur. In the episode on appliances, our initial idea was quite simple, almost bare-bones, as if the appliances wouldn’t even have faces. It would just be a video of a thermostat with voiceover, reminiscent of NPR broadcasts and art films, mainly for cost-effectiveness. However, we could always get another one, but it wasn’t as amusing as required. We discovered that by adding animated facial expressions and using claymation, we could elicit more laughter. So, we learned from this experience.

Emily Dean: It was quite difficult to condense a large narrative into a brief 12-13 minutes while preserving the impact and humor of the initial short tale. This task presented a significant hurdle.

Andy Lyon: The main hurdle we face is consistently creating a short film filled with expansive wide shots depicting immense destruction in each scene, which seems almost impossible on a limited budget. Yet, we manage to do so, for the most part. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide. However, that’s always our biggest challenge – achieving an epic and humorous feel simultaneously.

Despite the fact that humans can be less than ideal, there’s still a part of you that wants them to succeed, and that’s exactly what you’ll find in this upcoming episode.

The full red carpet interviews, with even more fun responses, can be viewed here:

Love, Death + Robots Season 4 hits Netflix on May 15, 2025.

Read More

2025-05-06 01:37