Kane Parsons: I'd Erase Generative AI If I Could
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- Kane Parsons, the 20-year-old "Backrooms" director, told The Australian he would "snap my fingers and make generative AI disappear forever," saying he gets "no enjoyment" from the tools and that they "defeat the purpose entirely" for him creatively.
- Parsons acknowledged AI could eventually make some VFX tasks "less laborious" but said it's "difficult to discuss objectively" because of "genuinely harmful consequences already happening."
- Parsons said he wants to explore AI themes in a future film by examining its iconography — billboards and signs that are "obvious AI slop" — rather than using AI to generate the art itself.
- Martin Scorsese, director of "Taxi Driver," recently joined AI firm Black Forest Labs as an adviser, saying cinema is "only around 125 years old" and that the tool will let him share his vision "more clearly and efficiently" with his creative team.
- Scorsese cited his past use of 3D in "Hugo" and de-aging technology in "The Irishman" as precedent for adopting new tools.
- Black Forest Labs recruited Scorsese to help "push the bounds of creativity to create deeper and richer experiences for audiences," per a statement on the company's website.
Why it matters: The Parsons–Scorsese split captures Hollywood's generational divide on AI: a 20-year-old breakout calls it cultural rot, while Scorsese joins Black Forest Labs to "push the bounds of creativity." For studios weighing AI adoption, the contrast signals filmmaker sentiment spans the full spectrum, meaning AI's path into production will face cultural resistance from creators, not just labor pushback.
