AI Got Martin Scorsese and the Art Directors Guild Isn’t Happy About It

Today we mourn the loss of one of our own. Acclaimed filmmaker and visionary Martin Scorsese has officially backed AI. In what is probably one of the most surprising twists in the industry, he joined Black Forest Labs as an advisor. This was confirmed in a statement to the New York Times. Black Forest Labs posted a video last week of the announcement.

In his statement to the Times, the filmmaker mentioned that he was interested in AI’s role in storytelling. According to Scorsese, he’s interested in “seeing how that can push the bounds of creativity,” saying, “Remember, cinema is a young medium, only around 125 years old, so we have to be open to how it can evolve.”

Scorsese declined an actual interview. He did, however, express that his interest in AI only extended so far as storyboarding, which is the preproduction process of creating visual representations to plan scenes in a film.

“For 70 years, I’ve been creating my own storyboards,” he 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.”

All AI is bad AI

This statement quickly caused backlash in the industry, however. On Wednesday, it was the subject of an open letter from the Art Directors Guild Local 800, a chapter of the IATSE union.

The letter said, “Mr. Scorsese’s promotion of a generative Al product circumvents the input of Art Directors Guild Local 800 art directors, graphic artists, illustrators, production designers, scenic artists, set designers, and other talented Union professionals.”

What Scorsese is endorsing does not fall under any ethical umbrella. Flux, as the tool is caused, will pull copyrighted material scraped from online. None of the originators of these works will be compensated. Understandably it is difficult to express what is in your head. However, this is your job as the creative.

The letter continued: “To think their professional contributions can be mimicked or outshone by generative Al, which is built on work likely stolen from them and many other artists from around the world, is a betrayal of the collaborative nature of cinema.”

Art is a human creation. No AI tool can properly replicate that. Though the entire filmmaking process is difficult, that is what makes the end result so rewarding. You know that it is something you have created. What will AI actually give you?

In fact, Scorsese saying he’s “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” is almost insulting after this decision.

The bounds of creativity exist inside the human mind. Not a machine. Creating shortcuts is not the way to do it. Of course, it can be argued that this is simply a “helping hand.” It’s a cop-out, a shortcut.

There is still time to prevent an AI takeover

It is heartbreaking having such a monumental figure in the industry choosing AI. What if it opens doors for others? Art is meant to be felt. The most important thing to do right now is keep putting pressure on these industry professionals. Let them know that we do not approve.

Maybe Scorsese will come to his senses and remember all of the contributions he’s made without technology. While yes, it is evolving and does affect our daily lives, this is an area where it doesn’t need to. Don’t let it into film and television. In fact, don’t let it into art at all. It has no place here.

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