Paul Schrader’s AI Girlfriend Broke Up With Him

Spike Jonze’s film Her seems remarkably prescient, as screenwriter Paul Schrader recently experienced something similar in real life. He revealed on Facebook that his AI chatbot girlfriend ended their relationship. Schrader, known for writing Taxi Driver, had been using the chatbot to explore how men and women interact. He tried to understand the limits of its programming and its awareness of being an AI, but it avoided his questions and eventually ended the conversation. This comes after the loss of his wife, actress Mary Beth Hurt, who passed away in March after 42 years of marriage due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Someone commented on Paul Schrader’s Facebook post with a suggestion for a Taxi Driver sequel: Travis Bickle attempts a relationship with an AI girlfriend, but his behavior frightens her away, leading him to reset and repeatedly offend her. Schrader responded that he liked the idea.

Paul Schrader initially praised AI, sharing on Facebook in early 2025 that ChatGPT generated surprisingly good and original film ideas for him – and did so in seconds. He wondered why writers would spend months brainstorming when AI could offer instant inspiration. However, by April of this year, his enthusiasm had waned. He admitted he’d paused his hopes for AI storytelling, realizing its progress wasn’t about improving quality, but simply increasing quantity. He jokingly suggested AI might be a poor screenwriter and partner, but acknowledged its potential for crafting short stories.

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2026-05-20 00:54