A24's "Civil War" movie spurred a fresh wave of criticism due to the release of movie posters that appeared to be generated by AI. On April 17, A24 shared five distinct posters on Instagram, each depicting a different US city devastated by war. The posters showcased Las Vegas and the famous Sphere in ruins, a patrol boat in a Los Angeles pond, Marina Towers in Chicago set ablaze, and iconic locations in San Francisco and Miami under attack. Instagram users noticed that these images didn't represent scenes from the actual movie. Additionally, certain giveaways led them to speculate that the AI might have generated the posters, although the posters did not explicitly confirm this. For instance, the Los Angeles poster featured a gigantic swan, presumably meant to represent the swan paddle boats in Echo Park's lake. However, it could have been the result of a confused AI prompt. Furthermore, the photo of Chicago's Marina Towers showed them on opposite sides of the Chicago River, while in reality, they stand on the same side. The marketing campaign received strong backlash from commenters who criticized the use of AI-generated art, considering it both aesthetically unpleasing and a form of theft. Some questioned whether A24's decision to adopt AI for advertising signaled a departure from their previous reliance on indie aesthetics, expressing deep disappointment.

Others were disappointed that a company that values artistry would resort to AI-generated works for promotion. A24 has not yet responded to IndieWire's request for comment. However, a source confirmed to THR that the AI had indeed generated the images, while defending the concept behind the social media marketing campaign, which received over 156K likes on A24's Instagram. The source explained that since the entire movie explores a hypothetical scenario, A24 aimed to extend that concept through powerful imagery of iconic landmarks with a dystopian touch. Some commenters questioned why a movie centered around photojournalism would employ artificial intelligence to convey its message. They found it surprising that the film, directed by Alex Garland, whose previous work "Ex Machina" delved into the dangers of AI, utilized the technology. Furthermore, with a production budget of approximately $50 million, one of A24's largest releases to date, critics wondered why the company felt compelled to utilize AI instead of traditional methods. This incident is not the first time the presence of AI in a film, even in its marketing campaign, has faced backlash. IFC and Shudder's recent film, "Late Night With the Devil, " encountered similar controversy when it incorporated AI for a series of '70s-inspired title cards. While the movie's directors and star, David Dastmalchian, defended the decision, Dastmalchian acknowledged that the criticism undermined the film's dedicated crafts team. He expressed sadness that the attention was directed towards the use of AI, considering the film had an exceptional graphic design team and numerous artists working diligently to perfect it. However, he understood the concerns surrounding AI, mentioning how much the industry had learned about the topic since the movie's production. "Civil War" is currently playing in theaters and has already amassed a worldwide gross of $26 million.