Smart TV-set maker TCL’s streaming service TCLtvPlus said it employed artificial intelligence to create its first sci-fi short film, Message in a Bot.
TCL has been using AI to create original content that will make it stand out from other set makers' streaming platforms. A love story produced using AI, Next Stop Paris, will debut later this summer.
“With our bullish approach to AI in all its applications, TCL is surpassing the legacy business practices of film and television, reinforcing innovation that drives growth across every aspect of our business,“ said Haohong Wang, general manager of TCL Research America, who oversees TCLtvPlus and the TCLtvPlus Studios.
Message in a Bot tells a story of what happens when an alien craft crash-lands on Earth containing advanced technology and instructions. Humans build and launch a spacecraft capable of interstellar travel and journey across the universe in an attempt to make contact.
The short film had its online debut on Monday on YouTube and X. It will premiere on TCLtv Plus on July 22.
Message in a Bot was conceived and animated in-house at the TCLtvPlus global studios. The script was developed as a research project to pressure test new tech advancements in AI, but one of the animators discovered it and wanted to bring it fully to life. Erik Howell, the animator, is credited as an executive producer, along with TCL chief content officer Chris Regina and TCL chief creative officer Daniel Smith.
“We are energized by the resourcefulness and ingenuity of artists working in AI who can quickly bring their imagination to life,” Regina said. “By leaning into rapidly evolving AI tools, the timeline from idea to release is shorter than ever before. It’s an exhilarating process that allows for extraordinary freedom and creativity.”
