Legendary horror filmmaker David Cronenberg has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the use of AI in The Brutalist, suggesting that the backlash may have been fueled by competing Oscar campaigns rather than a genuine concern over artificial intelligence in filmmaking.

Speaking at London’s Royal Festival Hall, Cronenberg addressed the online outrage that erupted after The Brutalist editor Dávid Jancsó revealed in January that AI tools had been used to refine the Hungarian dialogue of lead actors Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones. The revelation sparked heated debates about the ethical implications of AI in cinema.

“I must confess, there was a scandal (with) The Brutalist,” Cronenberg said, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. “There was a discussion about Adrien Brody… but apparently they used artificial intelligence to improve his accent. I think it was a campaign against The Brutalist by some other Oscar nominees. It’s very much a Harvey Weinstein kind of thing, though he wasn’t around.”

Cronenberg defended the creative decision, emphasising that manipulating actors’ voices is a common practice in filmmaking.

“We mess with actors’ voices all the time,” he said. “In the case of John Lone (in M. Butterfly), when he was being this character, this singer, I raised the pitch of his voice and when he’s revealed as a man, I lowered to his natural voice. This is just a part of moviemaking.”

His comments came during a conversation with longtime collaborator Howard Shore, the composer behind some of Cronenberg’s most acclaimed films, including A History of Violence, Crash, The Fly, Videodrome, eXistenZ, and Naked Lunch.

Despite the controversy, Brady Corbet’s three-and-a-half-hour epic The Brutalist bagged three Oscars — Best Actor for Adrien Brody, Best Original Score, and Best Cinematography — at the 97th Academy Awards on March 3.