Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, Pacific Rim) has expressed his strong disapproval of the use of artificial intelligence in his work.
Del Toro, for which he won the Oscar for Best Director The shape of waterexpressed his thoughts during an interaction with NPR ahead of the Netflix premiere of his latest feature film Frankensteinan adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel of the same name.
The film, starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz, premieres on the streamer on November 7.
“AI, especially generative AI, I am not interested, and never will be interested… I’m 61, and I hope to remain disinterested in using it until I croak. Recently someone wrote me an email asking: What is your position on AI?” And my answer was very short. I said, I’d rather die. ”
Del Toro compared some tech bros to Frankenstein, saying, “He’s a little bit blind and creates something without thinking about the consequences. I think we need to pause for a moment and think about where we’re going.”
Frankenstein, a dream project of Del Toro’s for centuries, is expected to feature all the hallmarks of the visionary filmmaker known for infusing his work with references to classics of literature and film.
An avid filmmaker with a voracious appetite for books and films, del Toro has often toyed with the idea that man has created monsters or that man has evolved into a monster.
He won the Academy Award for Best Director and Best Picture for The shape of waterin addition to the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Pinocchio.
Interestingly, del Toro has cited the 1931 film adaptation Frankenstein and its 1935 sequel Bride of Frankenstein as two of his favorite films. In 2018, while accepting the BAFTA trophy for Best Director, he singled out Mary Shelley as an important figure and inspiration to him as a creator.
