Techart Conference

Jean-Peïc Chou 

■ Abstract

A recent trend in filmmaking with AI tools has favored visually spectacular scenes that would once have been difficult to make. At the same time, visual complexity and greater realism do not fully explain why something on screen captures our attention or stays with us. In this talk, I will look at why even minimal videos can be widely experienced as suspenseful, emotionally charged, and even story-like. Drawing on my research in cognitive science and computer science, I will explore how viewers make sense of what they see by inferring goals, anticipating what might happen next, or judging difficulty and stakes. More broadly, I ask what these interpretive processes can reveal about our film experience, and what they might suggest for the role of AI and technology in filmmaking.

■ Bio

Jean-Peïc Chou is a filmmaker and doctoral researcher in Computer Science at Stanford University. His research explores how stories are shaped, interpreted, and experienced, and how these insights can inform the design of new computational tools for creative work. Drawn to the ways technology continually reshapes cinema, he founded the AI ShortFest, a film festival for showcasing AI-assisted films and fostering dialogue about the future of media. He also served as AI Curator at the Asian Contents & Film Market of the Busan International Film Festival, where he helped create InnoAsia, the market’s program dedicated to innovation and technology.