So, the new Marathon cinematic short dropped, and it looks pretty slick, right? Well, apparently, some folks out there thought it looked *too* slick, sparking a wave of speculation that it was generated by AI. Seriously? I mean, I get that AI is making huge leaps, but come on!

The director actually had to come out and say, point blank, that the whole thing was made by real people, with real skills. It's kind of wild that we're at a point where artists have to defend their work against accusations of being "fake" just because it's high quality. It’s an odd situation to be in, isn’t it? It makes you think about the future of art and how we perceive it.

I guess what's happening is that the line between what's human-made and AI-generated is getting blurrier. And because of that, people are quick to assume the worst – or, maybe not "worst," but quick to assume that AI is behind anything that looks particularly impressive. When you think about it, it is a compliment to the quality of the work that people even thought it could be AI-generated!

However, I think we need to be careful not to immediately jump to that conclusion. Let's appreciate the artistry and skill that goes into creating these things. Assuming everything is AI just devalues the hard work of the actual artists involved. I mean, can you imagine pouring your heart and soul into a project, only for people to say, "Oh, that's just AI"? That would sting.

While I understand the skepticism, given the current state of AI, the director's statement serves as a reminder to value human creativity and effort. Let's celebrate the work of these talented individuals. I hope this clears things up and allows everyone to enjoy the cinematic short for what it is: a product of human skill and passion.