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Devil Wears Prada 2 is one of the most anti-AI films made in recent history. The film, starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep, talks about how evil it is to replace human emotions with AI and how jobs are ending because of it, of course, in a rather light-hearted setting. However, there's a sequence where AI is used to troll Meryl Streep's character Miranda. Did the film actually use AI to do it? Did it go against its own messaging? Here is the real truth behind the use of what many thought was Artificial Intelligence in the The Devil Wears Prada 2.
AI in The Devil Wears Prada 2?
While many were disappointed that The Devil Wears Prada 2 might have used AI, the truth behind the AI looking visuals tells a very different and rather refreshing story about creativity in modern cinema.
Minor spoiler aheadThe film portrays a crisis at Runway magazine, where Miranda faces backlash after a controversial article promoting a clothing company that uses sweatshops damages the publication’s reputation. This leads to a wave of online trolling, including memes and manipulated visuals that appear very similar to AI-generated content that we see on social media. Given the film’s theme, many viewers believed the creators may have used AI intentionally to reflect digital culture. However, this assumption turned out to be incorrect.
In reality, the makers of The Devil Wears Prada 2 made a conscious effort to avoid using AI altogether. Instead, they collaborated with real artists to design the memes and visuals seen in the film! The truth came to light when one of the artists - Alexis Franklin - shared her work on Instagram. She revealed that she had personally painted one of the viral images featured in the film at the request of director David Frankel. In her post, the artist expressed excitement about contributing to the project, noting that it was something she would have enjoyed creating even outside the film. Her statement confirmed that the visuals, while resembling AI-generated content, were entirely handcrafted.
This revelation was met with widespread appreciation online. Many users admitted they had initially believed the images were created using artificial intelligence, especially given how convincingly they mimicked AI aesthetics. Comments poured in praising the filmmakers for staying true to their message. Some users described the decision as “refreshing,” while others admired the effort to support real artists in an era dominated by automation.Take a look at some of the comments:
More about The Devil Wears Prada 2
The Devil Wears Prada 2 continues the story of Andy Sachs as she is pulled back into the fashion industry years after leaving it behind years ago. Miranda Priestly, now facing declining influence, finds herself stuck in a rapidly changing media landscape. With returning cast members including Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, alongside new additions like Lucy Liu and Simone Ashley, the sequel is being praised for being the perfect successor to a two decades old film.