Don't add Christopher Nolan to the list of filmmakers against AI just yet. The director responsible for The Dark Knight and Inception revealed how he feels about the technology in a discussion with Wired about his upcoming movie, Oppenheimer (a.k.a. the Barbie prelude).
When asked about AI, Nolan quickly called out journalists for neglecting to cover it until it posed a threat to their job security. "Few journalists bothered to write about it. Now that there's a chatbot that can write an article for a local newspaper, suddenly it's a crisis."
He went on to express that he feels AI can be useful in filmmaking contexts, particularly for visual effects like deepfake technology — but he won't necessarily be using it himself.
"I'm, you know, very much the old analog fusty filmmaker," he said. "I shoot on film. And I try to give the actors a complete reality around it."
For those who do choose to employ AI, Nolan asserts that it's important not to treat it as "godlike" or "all-powerful."
"I feel that AI can still be a very powerful tool for us. I'm optimistic about that. I really am," Nolan said. "But we have to view it as a tool. The person who wields it still has to maintain responsibility for wielding that tool."
Watch the AI-free Oppenheimer trailer below ahead of its July 21 release.
When asked about AI, Nolan quickly called out journalists for neglecting to cover it until it posed a threat to their job security. "Few journalists bothered to write about it. Now that there's a chatbot that can write an article for a local newspaper, suddenly it's a crisis."
He went on to express that he feels AI can be useful in filmmaking contexts, particularly for visual effects like deepfake technology — but he won't necessarily be using it himself.
"I'm, you know, very much the old analog fusty filmmaker," he said. "I shoot on film. And I try to give the actors a complete reality around it."
For those who do choose to employ AI, Nolan asserts that it's important not to treat it as "godlike" or "all-powerful."
"I feel that AI can still be a very powerful tool for us. I'm optimistic about that. I really am," Nolan said. "But we have to view it as a tool. The person who wields it still has to maintain responsibility for wielding that tool."
Watch the AI-free Oppenheimer trailer below ahead of its July 21 release.
