MIAMI BEACH — The American Black Film Festival has long been a hub for celebrating Black voices in entertainment. But this year, in its 29th installment, the festival signaled something new: a willingness to confront emerging technologies head-on, even when they bring as many questions as opportunities.

In a panel titled “The Future of Storytelling: AI and Immersive Technologies in Filmmaking,” attendees at the Miami Beach Convention Center got a candid look at how artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape creative processes, particularly for Black creators trying to find or fund their place in the industry.

The discussion, moderated by XR producer and GRX Immersive Labs CEO Alton Glass, featured comedian and AI storyteller King Willonious alongside creative director and composer Sadah Espii Proctor. Neither panelist shied away from the tension between innovation and risk.

Willonious, who recently made headlines after his AI-generated parody song “BBL Drizzy” was sampled by rapper Drake for the track “U My Everything” featuring Sexyy Red, referred to the moment as “the first official AI-created sampled song in music history.” He sees AI not as a gimmick, but as a tool with the potential to change access to the industry. “This time last year, we only had slow-mo video tools,” he said. “Now we can produce entire short stories or pitch trailers.”

Proctor agreed on the tech’s creative upside but warned of its blind spots,particularly for communities that have historically been left out of decision-making rooms. “People connect with stories, real or not,” she said. “So it’s our responsibility to build trust before someone else builds it without us.”

The panel also touched on the challenges of copyright, the value of human input in hybrid AI creations, and the practical reality of learning new tools. “There are free platforms,” Glass said, “but if you’re serious, you’ll need to invest time and resources. Community can help with that connect with other via Discord, Reddit, YouTube, WhatsApp… that’s where the learning’s happening.”

The conversation arrives less than a year after Hollywood writers and actors staged historic strikes, in part over concerns about the unchecked use of AI in screenwriting and performance. Both the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA cited fears about studios using generative AI to bypass human creativity or replicate performers’ likenesses without fair compensation. For many creators, especially those in marginalized communities, AI raises urgent questions not just about access, but about authorship, consent, and economic survival.

While ABFF’s inclusion of an AI track may seem like a side note in a festival known for glitzy screenings and celebrity appearances, the message was clear: the future of storytelling is already here. And for creators looking to be part of it, now is the time to engage both critically and creatively.