Martin Scorsese criticised by Art Directors Guild over AI use in filmmaking comments

Martin Scorsese faces criticism from Art Directors Guild after comments supporting AI in film production

Oscar-winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese has been criticised by the Art Directors Guild following his recent comments in support of artificial intelligence tools in the filmmaking process.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the guild described Scorsese’s position as “a betrayal of the collaborative nature of cinema,” arguing that his endorsement of AI undermines the contributions of human artists involved in production design and visual development.

The guild stated, “Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese is turning his back on the human artists who throughout his career have helped him create his most memorable works,” adding that generative AI systems rely on large volumes of copyrighted material that may be used without consent or compensation.

The statement further claimed, “Generative AI is only capable of producing this type of 'cinematic intelligence' by ingesting large swaths of copyrighted work, likely scraped from the internet without consent, credit, compensation or transparency,” while defending the role of traditional production artists in film and television.

Scorsese recently joined AI company Black Forest Labs as an adviser, where he discussed the use of AI tools in pre-visualisation and storyboarding. He has said the technology can help filmmakers communicate visual ideas more efficiently to production teams.

He stated, “Cinema is a young medium, only around 125 years old, so we have to be open to how it can evolve,” adding that he has previously used digital tools such as 3D technology in Hugo and de-ageing techniques in The Irishman.

In promotional comments, Scorsese also suggested that AI-assisted pre-production could reduce time pressures on crews, stating it may result in “less wear and tear on the crew,” and describing the process as a way of translating a director’s vision to large production teams.

According to reporting, Scorsese was introduced to Black Forest Labs through investment connections linked to his manager. It remains unclear whether AI tools have been used in the development of his upcoming film What Happens at Night.

Representatives for Martin Scorsese have not yet issued a public response to the criticism from the Art Directors Guild.