It’s fascinating to reflect on some of our favorite films about the future and see the worlds they imagined. Watching “Star Trek” episodes as a kid, I remember being completely captivated by their communicators – the idea that a small handheld device could instantly connect you with someone miles away. Now, holding my mobile phone, what once seemed futuristic is ubiquitous and has forever altered social norms.

Movies have similarly shaped the popular imagination and technological development of AI. As AI moves out of the realm of science fiction and into our everyday lives, narrative films present an opportunity to explore and showcase the ways we want to coexist with this technology. To help spark this new wave of cinematic exploration, we’re teaming up with Range Media Partners to announce AI on Screen, a new short film program.

Over the next 18 months, in collaboration with Range we’ll commission original narratives by visionary filmmakers that explore the complex relationship between humanity and AI. We’re looking for stories that will deeply resonate on a human level, exploring the emotional and ethical dilemmas that arise when we intertwine our lives with intelligent machines.