Guillermo del Toro Critiques AI at Gotham Awards

During the Gotham Awards, director Guillermo del Toro, recognized for his Oscar-winning work, took the opportunity to share his thoughts on artificial intelligence, stating, “AI is crap.” He was on stage with actors Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac when he made these remarks.

Reflecting on his career, del Toro expressed how his early inspirations, particularly from films like Frankenstein, impacted his sense of belonging. “It made me realize that I didn’t belong to the world like my parents, or as the world expected me to,” he said. “My home was in a distant place, filled with monsters and misfits. They’ve been my relatives ever since.”

He went on to highlight the privilege of returning to this story at 61 and collaborating with talented artists like Oscar and Jacob, noting that he found a sense of family in them.

After brief statements from Isaac and Elordi, del Toro returned to voice his criticism of AI. He acknowledged the incredible contributions of the film’s cast and crew, emphasizing their unique artistry: “This film was intentionally made by humans for humans. Designers, builders, makeup, wardrobe teams, cinematographers, composers, editors—this tribute belongs to them all. So, damn AI.”

The topic of generative AI has stirred significant debate in Hollywood, with various directors weighing in. James Cameron, known for Avatar, remarked, “I’m not negative about generative AI… but we don’t use that word in the Avatar movies. We honor and celebrate actors. We don’t replace actors. Hollywood will navigate through this, but the bigger concern is the existential threat posed by powerful AI.”

This ongoing discussion highlights the complexity of technology’s role in the film industry and its potential implications for the future of storytelling.