How can you be angry at Martin Scorsese?
The 83-year-old director, who created such classic films as «"Taxi driver"» , «Raging Bull» , «Goodfellas» , «The Renegades» и «Killers of the Flower Moon» , is a true movie star. Beyond his filmography, Scorsese is a perceptive cinema connoisseur and supporter communication through art .
In addition, his voice acting in The Mandalorian, which aired this year, and Grogu's work were some of the best moments of the new Star Wars movie, and he doesn't even mind appearing on the cover of Charli XCX's new album .
However, in what many see as a "This is why we can't have anything good" moment, Scorsese has spoken out about the use of AI in filmmaking and publicly endorsed the tech company Black Forest Labs.
It was announced that the Oscar winner has become a "consultant" for the German company, specifically on the use of its FLUX image generation software. Black Forest Labs, which bills itself as a "cutting-edge research lab in the field of artificial intelligence for visual analysis," released a video about the collaboration along with a statement from the director.
«"I've been creating my own storyboards for 70 years," Scorsese begins. "There's always been a challenge in how to convey what you see in your head to the actors and crew. Some things need to be seen and felt. I'm interested in the intersection of technology and storytelling, and how it can push the boundaries of creativity to create deeper, richer experiences for audiences.".
He added, "Now, thanks to this tool, I can share my visualizations more clearly and effectively with my creative team—the production designer, set designer, and cinematographer—so they can develop their cinematic thinking. I recently tested this on a scene, and the ability to visualize and immediately share storyboards proved incredibly helpful for creativity. In pre-production, time is precious, and this allowed us to move faster without sacrificing quality or craftsmanship.".
Watch the video below:
A furious backlash
This recommendation is unlikely to come as much of a surprise, given that Scorsese has used new technologies before, particularly 3D for film "Hugo"« and rejuvenation tools for «The Irishman» .
During press conference at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival Scorsese even reminded those present how relatively young cinema is as an art form.
When asked if cinema could be dying, he replied, «Cinema isn’t dying—it’s just transforming. It was never intended to be a singular entity. We’re used to it being a singular entity. As a kid, if you wanted to see a movie, you went to the theater. It was always a communal experience. But technology has changed so rapidly and so rapidly that, in a sense, the only thing you can truly hold on to is the individual voice. An individual voice, I must say, can be expressed through TikTok, a four-hour film, or a two-hour miniseries.».
Then he added: «I think we shouldn’t be afraid of technology.».
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However, artificial intelligence is an extremely controversial issue in the arts , mainly because it poses an existential threat to creative people, especially if it is used to replace people in the creative process.
Hollywood has largely rejected «"poor quality AI developments"» , and the reaction to the fact that one of the titans of cinema supported the development of artificial intelligence through the company Black Forest Labs was immediate.
Some have uncovered Scorsese's previous comments that Marvel movies are not cinema , and pointed out the hypocrisy underlying such a statement, given his support for artificial intelligence. Others accused him of "setting up" artists, calling his collaboration a "betrayal" and something that "contradicts many of the principles Scorsese has fought for throughout his career.".
Carla Ortiz, who has worked in the art department on several Marvel films, including «Avengers: Endgame» , «Black Panther» и «Doctor Strange» , wrote: "He's screwing every storyboard artist he's ever worked with by ruining their livelihoods with models who were likely trained based on the work of those same storyboard artists. Using his legacy and power to do this is simply disgusting.".
«"My guess is that at 83, his family was given a ton of money (they throw tens of millions around), he wanted that income stream for them, and he thinks 'AI' is going to fail anyway, so he doesn't care..." director Boots Riley suggested, adding, "If it doesn't, then screw it.".
Below are some of the reactions:
There were also those who defended Marty, saying, "If AI can help someone like Scorsese show his cinematographer or crew what he's envisioning faster, I don't see a problem with that.".
Another wrote: "He's not using AI to replace filmmaking. He's not asking you to use it. He's using it to more quickly visualize ideas in pre-production, and that's where such a tool makes sense. This doesn't mean the death of art.".
Despite support from fans, Scorsese's endorsement of artificial intelligence left a bad taste.
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In good company?
With this move, Scorsese joins the ranks of other film industry figures who also support the use of artificial intelligence.
Guillermo del Toro is absolutely not one of them .
Creator «Avatar» James Cameron joined the board of directors of Stability AI in 2024 and discussed how this technology could be used to optimize the film-making process.
«"We need to figure out how to cut costs in half," Cameron said on the Boz to the Future podcast last year. "It's not about laying off half the staff at a special effects company. It's about doubling the speed at which we can complete a given shot, speeding up the workflow and the turnaround time, so that artists can do other interesting things, and then some more interesting things.".
Darren Aronofsky's studio used artificial intelligence to recreate the American Revolution in a series of short films, and Steven Soderbergh used it to create visual scenes in his recent documentary about John Lennon, «John Lennon: The Last Interview» .
Even Steven Spielberg recently stated that AI could help "free us from a lot of mundane tasks" by taking over tasks like location searches. However, he added that AI should be merely "a tool in a larger toolbox" and that it shouldn't have "the final say in anything creative.".
Major film festivals are also getting involved in this process. A 95-minute AI-generated action film called «Hell Grind ), and the 75-minute docudrama " will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival next week (June 10).« Dreams of Violets» (Dreams Of Violets), also created using AI. The latter film focuses on Iranian civil resistance, and its presence at the festival was defended by Tribeca co-founder Jane Rosenthal, who stated Variety «The director is Iranian, his family, relatives and friends are there, and this is the only way he was able to tell his story in his own way in two months.».
Facing backlash online, she added, "If someone wrote a song about it, you wouldn't say anything, if someone wrote a poem about it, you wouldn't say anything, if someone wanted to dance about it, you wouldn't say anything. So [director Ash Koosha] did it his way, and I think it needs to be seen in that context.".
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The consequences of Scorsese's approval
Is Scorsese's promotion of artificial intelligence a money-making endeavor? A sad symptom of the growing ubiquity of AI in film? Or is it simply the old guard trying to keep up with the times?
As comforting as it might be to dismiss Scorsese's endorsement as yet another warning sign about the film industry's potential future—starting with the potential threat AI poses to pre-production professionals—creatives, young and old, still feel threatened.
The last category is represented by 20-year-old phenomenon Kane Parsons, a YouTuber turned filmmaker whose film «Behind the Scenes» will become one of the biggest hits of 2026.
In a recent interview with The Australian, Parsons made his views on the "cultural and economic corruption" that artificial intelligence represents crystal clear.
«"I think I'm in the same situation as most sane people," he said. "If I could snap my fingers and make generative AI disappear forever, I probably would. Creatively, I get no pleasure from using these tools. For me, it completely defeats the purpose of them.".
He continued: "I'm more interested in the artistic aspect of this phenomenon. We already live in a world where, when you go outside, you see billboards and signs that are clearly the work of AI. It has become part of our visual reality. For me, generative AI is not so much an innovation as a symptom of a broader cultural and economic decline.".
Parsons concluded: "I'm interested in using this iconography in art—not in creating the artwork itself with AI, but in exploring what it represents. I definitely want to explore this further in future projects.".
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It's too early to say whether Marty is studying this or planning to use it...
No official statement indicates that the director will use AI-generated images or will invite Tilly Norwood to star in one of his future films in the near future, and very little information is available regarding the extent of Scorsese's partnership with Black Forest Labs.
His next project, «What Happens at Night» , the upcoming film adaptation of Patrick Marber's 2020 novel starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, and Mads Mikkelsen, will hopefully be AI-free.
In the meantime, filmmakers should listen to the opinions of others and clearly define the scope of their collaboration, perhaps to allay concerns. At the same time, they might want to support the position of the Hollywood actors' union, SAG-AFTRA, which stated earlier this year: "SAG-AFTRA believes that creativity is and must remain human-centered.".