Guillermo del Toro on AI: “It can do semi-compelling screensavers and that’s that”

23 September, 2024

Guillermo del Toro has had his say on the use of AI in art, claiming it can do “semi-compelling screensavers” and “that’s essentially that”.

The Pan’s Labyrinth director was speaking in conversation with BFI when he addressed the controversial topic, making his sentiments clear on its inability to recreate genuine human expression.

“AI has demonstrated that it can do semi-compelling screensavers and that’s essentially that,” he said, to some audible laughter from the audience.

“The value of art is not how much it costs and how little effort it requires, it’s how much would you risk to be in its presence. How much would people pay for those screensavers? Are they going to make them cry because they lost a son? A mother? Because they misspent their youth? Fuck no!”

The use of AI in art continues to be a hot topic, with Nick Cave recently describing it as “unbelievably disturbing”, and arguing it will have a “humiliating effect” on the creative industries.

Tears For Fears, meanwhile, have this week addressed why they chose to use AI in the design of their new album cover ‘Songs For A Nervous Planet’, saying it was “just one of the many tools used in the creative process”.

Peter Hook recently claimed that every song that had been written with the help of AI has been “shit”, while Daniel Bedingfield has proclaimed AI to be the future of music, questioning the “neo-luddites” who are trying to resist it.

Del Toro, meanwhile, claimed he was disturbed by “angry and territorial” ghosts in an Aberdeen hotel room last month. The director was filming his version of Frankenstein in the city, with Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi, and posted a series of updates of mysterious happenings in the 19th century building.

Filming on Frankenstein, which is being produced by Netflix, began back in February. It will be the Mexican director’s first feature film since 2022’s Pinocchio, and his thirteenth directorial feature overall. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for 2017’s The Shape Of Water, which also picked up Best Picture.

Last year, del Toro also opened up about the Star Wars film that he was once hoping to make, confirming that he had been in line to direct an entry in the series. His film, he revealed, was meant to focus on Jabba The Hutt, but the project eventually fell through.

“We were doing a lot of stuff, and then it’s not my property, it’s not my money, and then it’s one of those 30 screenplays that goes away,” he said. “Sometimes I’m bitter, sometimes I’m not. I always turn to my team and say, ‘Good practice, guys. Good practice. We designed a great world. We designed great stuff. We learned.’”

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