The three-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro has voiced his strong opposition to the revolutionary technology of artificial intelligence (AI).
He stated that he would “rather die” than employ artificial intelligence, especially generative AI, in any of his upcoming films, as reported by Variety.
In a recent conversation with NPR, del Toro likened the cultural fascination with this controversial technology to the “arrogance” embodied by the titular character in his Netflix adaptation of Frankenstein.
He expressed, “AI, particularly generative AI, I am not interested, nor will I ever be interested. I’m 61, and I hope to remain uninterested in using it at all until I croak. The other day, somebody wrote me an email, said, ‘What is your stance on AI?’ And my answer was very short. I said, ‘I’d rather die.’”
According to Variety, the director of Pan’s Labyrinth emphasized that the real hazards do not lie within the technology itself, but rather in “natural stupidity,” which can lead to the misuse of AI.
He remarked that “natural stupidity” is responsible for “most of the world’s worst features.” He further connected the character of Victor Frankenstein to those leading the charge in AI development.
Del Toro noted, “I did want it to have the arrogance of Victor (Frankenstein) be similar in some ways to the tech bros. 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 adaptation of Frankenstein, based on Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, features a star-studded cast including Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, and Ralph Ineson. The film is set to premiere on Netflix on November 7.