Let the Grain Remain: How AI is Ruining 4K Film Remastering

AI-generated mutant faces in backgrounds make clear not all 4K Blu Rays are created equal

Arnold Schwarzenegger with AI enhanced hair in True Lies (1994). Credit: 20th Century Fox

Fans of James Cameron’s Aliens (1986), The Abyss (1989), and True Lies (1994) finally had their patience rewarded earlier this year, as 4K disks of all three were released, to the delight of physical media enthusiasts like yours truly. Alas, our joy was short-lived upon discovering that rather than merely being remastered in 4K, AI had been used to clear up film grain, resulting in some seriously unpleasant visual side effects. As a film purist, I take great exception to this. Frankly, I think you should too.