Willfully made by humans, for humans: 'Director Guillermo del Toro slams use of AI in cinema at Gotham Awards
New York, December 3
Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro left no doubt about his feelings for artificial intelligence, yelling "F*ck AI" at the tail end of remarks at the Gotham Awards while accepting a Vanguard Tribute for his latest release, 'Frankenstein', reported Deadline.
During his acceptance speech, the director praised the Netflix film's cast and crew and everyone who brings films from designers, builders and makeup artists to cinematographers, composers and editors.
"The artistry of all of them shines on every single frame of this film that was willfully made by humans, for humans," said del Toro as quoted by Deadline.
He added, "It belongs to all of them, and I would like to extend our gratitude and say, 'f*ck AI.'"
Del Toro said he first read Mary Shelley's classic novel when he was 11, and it shaped his life. Fifty years later, he made the movie.
"I understood through her work and the first glimpse of Boris Karloff, that I did not belong in the world the way my parents, the way the world, expected me to fit," del Toro said.
"That my place was in a faraway land inhabited only by monsters and misfits. They have been my kin ever since," added del Toro, as quoted by Deadline.
'Frankenstein' stars Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac in the lead roles.
The director also expressed his gratitude to the lead cast, saying that it was his "privilege" to work with Oscar and Jacob.
"Working with artists as extraordinary as Oscar and Jacob has been truly one of the greatest privileges of my life, and in them, I found another family. They don't play archetypes. They dramatise the human condition and longing for a connection in a world that misunderstands them, both of them, and a world where pain only begets pain, which is, sadly, so urgent now, until someone decides to stop it," said Guillermo del Toro.
Del Toro's 'Frankenstein' is adapted from Mary Shelley's 1818 novel of the same name.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who works in graphic design, I feel this deeply. The fear of AI taking over creative jobs is real, even here in India. We need more voices like his to protect human artistry.
His passion is inspiring! "Willfully made by humans, for humans" – what a powerful line. It reminds me of our own legendary filmmakers like Satyajit Ray. That human touch can never be replicated by a machine.
While I respect his stance, I think his view is a bit extreme. AI can be a fantastic assistant for filmmakers, especially for smaller indie projects with limited budgets. The key is responsible use, not outright rejection.
True yaar! Imagine if AI wrote the dialogues for Sholay or composed the music for Lagaan? It would lose its soul. Some things are sacred. Hollywood and Bollywood both need to remember that.
His connection to Frankenstein as a story for misfits is so moving. That's what art is about – human connection. An AI can't understand longing or pain the way we do. It's just data. Bravo to him for speaking out!
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