Guillermo Del Toro calls AI “natural stupidity” that’s ruining cinema

by

Guillermo Del Toro has been very critical of AI, describing it as “artificial nonsense” and arguing that it’s contributing to a decline in understanding and appreciation of film.

Guillermo del Toro – the director behind films like The Devil’s Backbone, Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water, Pinocchio, and Frankenstein – often chooses to use real-world effects instead of relying on computer graphics.

His dedication to detail has resulted in numerous awards for his movies. Pan’s Labyrinth won Oscars for its beautiful visuals, art direction, and makeup, while The Shape of Water received an Oscar for production design and the prestigious Best Picture award.

The director is known for films with a lot of visual effects, so he frequently gets asked about how artificial intelligence could be used in filmmaking. He has a very clear and direct answer to that question.

Guillermo Del Toro claims AI is leading to “cinema illiteracy”

Guillermo Del Toro recently received a prestigious Fellowship from the British Film Institute in April, recognizing his significant impact on film. This week, BFI America hosted a dinner to celebrate this achievement, where Del Toro spoke frankly about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence.

According to Variety, Guillermo del Toro recently warned that we’re quickly losing the ability to understand and appreciate images, and that this extends to a broader decline in understanding cinema itself.

He explained that the relationship between people and images is traditionally considered very important, but he believes this connection is now threatened. He also described the technology behind images as a kind of ‘natural foolishness’.

Del Toro explained that while images can now be created using artificial intelligence, their true purpose isn’t simply to exist. He believes images should connect with us and evoke a sense of beauty.

Del Toro ended by saying that artificial intelligence is currently on a dangerous path. He used the analogy of a bus nearing a cliff, explaining that everyone needs to work together – ‘lean to the right’ – to steer it away from disaster.

Guillermo Del Toro’s upcoming film is The Buried Giant, a stop-motion animated movie adapted from the popular novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. Elsewhere, there’s been a lot of discussion about artificial intelligence in filmmaking. You can find insights from Peter Jackson and Kane Parsons, as well as learn about the controversies surrounding AI-created content in projects like Megalopolis, Late Night With the Devil, Thunderbolts, True Detective, One Piece, and the work of Tilly Norwood.

Read More

2026-06-18 14:19