Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro has made it clear that he has no interest in using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in his movies.
“I am not interested, nor will I ever be interested,” the Shape of Water director told NPR in an interview. “I’m 61, and I hope to be able to remain uninterested in using it at all until I croak… The other day, somebody wrote me an email, said, ‘What is your stance on AI?’ And my answer was very short. I said, ‘I’d rather die.’”
Del Toro, known for films like Crimson Peak and Pacific Rim, said his concern with AI lies less in the technology itself and more in what he called “natural stupidity”.
“The true danger isn’t AI — it’s natural stupidity,” he said, drawing parallels between the tech industry’s reckless innovation and the hubris of Victor Frankenstein, the scientist at the center of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel.
“I did want it to have the arrogance of Victor (Frankenstein) be similar in some ways to the tech bros,” del Toro noted. “He’s kind of blind, creating something without considering the consequences. I think we have to take a pause and consider where we’re going.”
Del Toro’s latest project, a Netflix adaptation of Frankenstein, premieres on November 7. The film stars Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Mia Goth in lead roles, with Christoph Waltz and Ralph Ineson in key roles.