Private Project

Destroy All Humans

DESTROY ALL HUMANS is a documentary short about AI in art + media, the death of shared culture, and how I accidentally made the first AI-generated rock album.

Blurring the line between human creativity and machine-generated art, the film interrogates the unsettling reality of a world where artificial intelligence quietly – and sometimes convincingly – replaces the artist’s hand.

At its core lies the story of HOVERBORG, a fictional band whose music, praised worldwide, was revealed to be entirely AI-generated. Through interviews with the band’s first supporters, seasoned musicians, visual artists, media professionals, and a radio DJ grappling with the implications of AI’s rapid advancement, the film weaves together moments of nostalgia, eeriness, and wonder – creating a dreamlike meditation on creativity, authenticity, and the pace of technological change.

In an era where machines learn to imitate our art and emotions, DESTROY ALL HUMANS poses a haunting question: As AI fuels the rise of hyperpersonalized media, will we still recognize ourselves in the art we consume, or are we surrendering to a future where creativity is tailored more for algorithms than for humanity?

  • Phillip Lybrand
    Director
    Maybe Shower, The Trolls
  • Phillip Lybrand
    Writer
    Maybe Shower, The Trolls
  • Phillip Lybrand
    Producer
    Maybe Shower, The Trolls
  • Kelli Horan
    Producer
    Reverie, Between the Trees, A Grievance With Gravity
  • George Nicholas
    Key Cast
    "Narrator"
  • Hamdija Ajanovic
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Lauren Hemphill
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Self Morrison
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Dan Mercer
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • CJ Morgan
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Jonny Wonderland
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Marguerite Zamora
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Technology, Art, Meta, Music, Documentary, Experimental
  • Runtime:
    26 minutes 47 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 16, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.40:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Phillip Lybrand

Phillip Lybrand is an independent filmmaker whose diverse body of work spans four narrative feature films, including MAYBE SHOWER, THE TROLLS, and SUMMER LEAGUE. Known for sharp wit and distinct storytelling voice, he has explored everything from offbeat comedies to intimate character dramas. DESTROY ALL HUMANS marks his first foray into documentary filmmaking, blending existential curiosity with an experimental aesthetic.

Inspired by a creative crossroads during a period of writer’s block, Lybrand began reflecting on the intersection of technology, art, and identity. This journey led to an exploration of AI-generated media and its profound implications for artists and audiences alike. That, and accidentally producing & releasing the world's first AI-generated LP. With DESTROY ALL HUMANS, Phillip brings his narrative sensibilities to nonfiction – creating a film that challenges viewers to question the future of creativity in an increasingly hyperpersonalized, machine-driven world.

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Director Statement

Writer’s block can be cruel, but it also has a way of forcing you to take stock of what’s happening around you. For me, that meant staring down the rise of AI-generated art – something that's equal parts fascinating, terrifying, and unavoidable. Then, almost by accident, I produced and released what turned out to be the world’s first AI-generated LP rock album. People loved it, which was thrilling… even after I told them it wasn’t real.

That experience stuck with me. What does it mean when the tools we’ve created can make art that moves us – art that feels human – without us? And what happens when the machines start to know us better than we know ourselves?

I wanted to make a film that wasn’t just about AI, but about what it reveals about us: our fears, our desires, and the strange hyperpersonalized media landscape we’re now stumbling through.

DESTROY ALL HUMANS might be my first documentary, but I approached it with the same narrative sensibility I’ve brought to my fiction work. I wanted it to feel existential and experimental, like falling into a slightly off-kilter future that’s already here. By combining interviews and moments of reflection, I hope the film encourages viewers to consider their place in this machine-driven world, and whether we’re letting it shape us just as much as we’re shaping it.

Also, I just really want us to finally cast Danny DeVito as Mr. Spacely, please and thank you. :)