Martin Scorsese branded a 'sellout' after backing AI startup for his new movie
Few mediums have experienced as much friction as a consequence of AI as cinema, but one of film's most influential figures has now received significant backlash after backing Black Forest Labs. Although you may not have heard of Black Forest, it’s an AI startup used within the production process.
Martin Scorsese has faced heavy criticism on social media and from within the industry itself after expressing his support for an AI company, revealing that he's already used it for support during the storyboarding process for his new film.
He's far from the only director to flirt with AI tools, as names like Steven Soderbergh and Nicolas Winding Refn have recently expressed their interest in the rapidly evolving tech, and former Scorsese collaborator Paul Schrader has had his own unorthodox interaction with the medium outside of Hollywood.
For Scorsese to 'succumb' to the influence of AI is a particularly disappointing revelation for many. It’s especially disappointing as, in recent years, he’s become a figure embodying the preservation of 'real cinema' in the face of 'amusement park' superhero films that have dominated screens in the past two decades.
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Explaining the reason why he's chosen to endorse Black Forest Labs, Scorsese said: “There's always been this problem of how do you communicate what you see in your head to your cast and crew. There are some things you have to see and feel.
"I'm interested in the intersection of technology and storytelling, and seeing how that can push the bounds of creativity to create deeper and richer experiences for audiences.”
He pointed out that he has utilized new forms of technology in the last few decades, employing 3D with Hugo and de-aging technology for The Irishman, and in his eyes, the use of AI tech is merely an evolution of that same adoption.
"Now, with this tool, I can share what I'm visualizing more clearly and efficiently to my creative team," Scorsese added, "For them to build on and enrich cinematic intelligence.
"I recently tested this out on a scene and the ability to visualize and immediately share the storyboard was creatively freeing," he claimed. "During the pre-production process, time costs money, and this allowed us to move faster without sacrificing quality or craft."
While some might argue that this doesn't necessarily impact the actual creative process behind the film itself – as there appears to be, at least for the time being, no interjection of AI within the finished product – others have branded the legendary director a 'sell out' for attaching himself to a form of technology that many claim is antithetical to human creation.
"What a sell-out omg, he lost all of my respect," wrote one user on X in response to the news, with a second adding that "he has absolutely lost my respect. Taking food out of the table of creatives because you like AI slop is diabolical."
Another commenter on YouTube underneath Black Forest Labs' video with Scorsese claimed this to be "a real kick in the teeth to all those skilled concept and storyboard artists who helped him over the years."