Within the framework of CPH:DOX, one of the leading international events dedicated to documentary cinema, a conference focused on the impact of artificial intelligence on nonfiction storytelling, shifting the debate away from the utopia-versus-dystopia dichotomy toward structural issues such as power, governance, and authorship.

The panel, titled “Rekindling the Machine: Documentary in the Age of AI,” brought together filmmakers, artists, and public-interest technologists who agreed on the need to move beyond a passive relationship with these tools and toward the active design of the systems shaping new modes of storytelling.

In her opening remarks, moderator Kamal Sinclair outlined two central axes underpinning the contemporary debate: truth and ownership. “We are being asked, at the same time, what is real and who owns what we create,” she said, framing the discussion in both philosophical and material terms.

One of the most recurring themes was the concentration of power in today’s technological ecosystem. Public-interest technologist Julia Kloiber warned that decision-making remains in the hands of a small group of industry leaders whose visions end up shaping global infrastructures. “Democracies are treated as obstacles to innovation,” she argued, calling for the decentralization of both technological development and governance.

Along the same lines, Denmark’s Tech Ambassador Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard pointed to a lack of intentionality in how these technologies are designed. “We have outsourced our collective imagination to a handful of people with similar backgrounds,” she said, warning that such homogeneity produces systems misaligned with broader societal values.

From an artistic perspective, Anna Engelhardt challenged the notion that artificial intelligence is an inevitable phenomenon. “We should be careful not to speak about AI as if it has already happened,” she said, emphasizing that it remains an ongoing process open to intervention and redefinition.

Filmmaker Marc Silver approached the issue through the language of documentary, focusing on how to make visible systems that typically remain hidden. His recent work explores what he described as “algorithmic violence,” referring to the human impact of opaque digital infrastructures. “We are dealing with something that knows everything about us, while we know nothing about it,” he explained.

For Silver, the problem lies not in technical failure but in the very efficiency of these systems: “These systems often work exactly as designed, and that is where the danger lies.”

The question of accountability also took center stage. While regulatory efforts such as Europe’s digital services legislation were acknowledged, participants agreed they remain insufficient given the scale of the issue. “This is not just about age limits or bans. It is about redesigning systems with entirely different purposes in mind,” said Meldgaard.

In that regard, Silver criticized approaches that focus on users rather than platforms. “We talk about restricting users, rather than addressing the systems themselves,” he noted, suggesting that harmful platforms should be treated as defective products requiring structural reform.

Beyond the critical diagnosis, the panel also explored alternatives. Kloiber highlighted public-interest technology initiatives, including open-source tools and publicly funded models that prioritize social needs over profit. “We need to start with the problem, not the technology,” she warned.

The discussion concluded with a call to reclaim agency in the face of dominant narratives around artificial intelligence. “These technologies are influenced by the stories we tell about them,” Kloiber said, while Meldgaard urged responsibility at both the policy level and in individual decision-making.

Ultimately, the panel made clear that the future of artificial intelligence in documentary filmmaking depends not only on technical advances, but on who designs, controls, and challenges the systems behind it. As Silver summed up: “This is not a story about technology. It is a story about power.”