Three-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro has taken a fierce stand against the use of artificial intelligence in cinema, asserting he would “rather die” than use “generative AI” in any of his future projects, Variety reports.
In a recent interview with NPR, the director of The Shape of Water and Pan’s Labyrinth made his position unequivocally clear, stating he hopes to remain “uninterested in using it at all until I croak.” When asked about his stance on the controversial technology, he said his response was a succinct, “I’d rather die.”
Del Toro, whose latest project is a Netflix adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, argued that the greater threat is not the technology itself, but what he calls “natural stupidity,” which drives the irresponsible deployment of AI.
“My concern is not artificial intelligence, but natural stupidity. I think that’s what drives most of the world’s worst features,” he explained.
He drew a direct parallel between the modern-day push for AI development and the ambition of the mad scientist in his upcoming film. Del Toro deliberately linked the “arrogance” of Dr. Victor Frankenstein to that of today’s “tech bros” at the forefront of AI innovation.
“I did want it to have the arrogance of Victor [Frankenstein] be similar in some ways to the tech bros,” the director shared. “He’s kind of blind, creating something without considering the consequences and I think we have to take a pause and consider where we’re going.”
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, and Ralph Ineson, is set to premiere on Netflix on November 7.