I’m a filmmaker who used AI to make a sci-fi film for under $300. I’m deeply conflicted about it.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Aleem Hossain, an associate professor of Media Arts & Culture at Occidental College. He’s also a filmmaker who recently created the short film, “Do Bangladroids Dream Of Electric Tagore?” This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

I was a filmmaker before I became a professor.

I started making films in high school because I was deeply interested in telling stories that just weren’t being told. I…