Paramount skips voice actors, opting for shockingly bad AI slop in 'Novocaine' film promo

Paramount Pictures appears to be experimenting with cheap AI-generated content based on its promotion for the film Novocaine, an action-thriller starring Jack Quaid set to release on Friday.

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In a recent Instagram post, users sighted a reel promoting the film that blatantly utilizes AI scripting and narration - a content style that's lazy enough from spam accounts and content farms, let alone a major film production company.

The most jarring aspect of this promotion is the voiceover. The robotic voice, familiar to anyone who frequents YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, or TikTok, is generally associated with low-effort, mass-produced AI content. The script itself feels stilted and detached, raising the obvious question: why wouldn't Paramount just hire a voice actor?

Feedback in the comments is rightfully resistant to the content, highlighting:

"Imagine how many up and coming voice actors would've literally jumped at the chance to narrate this video for free."

"Disgusting application of AI."

For context, Paramount Global is a company valued at $13.6 billion. While budgets for film and marketing campaigns are complex, it is difficult to justify a corporation of this scale opting for AI-generated narration over human talent. The approach resembles the workflow of content farms, which rely on fully AI-driven production - from script to video to narration - typically for the sole purpose of engagement farming.

The irony is that AI-generated marketing is a terrible strategy for a film release. It drains any creative spark, making the movie feel cheap and uninspired. As users pointed out, low-effort content like this shows a clear lack of respect for the audience.

As to whether this decision was driven by cost-cutting, or simple experimentation with new technology - remains to be seen. Nonetheless, if major studios are willing to push out content at the expense of quality and creativity - it raises the question of how much further they'd be willing to go.