Martin Scorsese’s role as a consultant for Black Forest Labs’ AI product FLUX has reignited the debate over artificial intelligence in Hollywood. The director’s appearance in promotional materials demonstrating how the program can be used in the storyboard creation process sparked strong criticism within the artistic community.
The Art Directors Guild described Scorsese’s choice as turning his back on human artists. In their statement, the guild claimed that the director disregarded the contributions of the artists he has collaborated with throughout his career.
The Guild’s Response
In their statement, the guild noted that the promotional video featuring Scorsese presented the AI product as a creative solution for film crews. The criticism focused on the attempt to replace professions such as storyboard artists, graphic artists, illustrators, production designers, and set decorators with artificial intelligence.
The organization argued that generative AI can only produce this kind of "cinematic intelligence" by drawing from copyrighted works. They suggested that this content may have been collected from the internet without permission, credit, payment, or transparency.
What Scorsese Said
In the promotional material, Scorsese stated that cinema is still a relatively young medium of about 125 years and that it should remain open to how it can evolve. The director highlighted the possibilities AI offers during the storyboard phase.
This statement has once again brought the debate about the role of AI in artistic production to the forefront. Similar discussions have recently been ongoing in Hollywood involving other figures as well.
Growing AI Debate in Hollywood
It is recalled that James Cameron mentioned AI could reduce costs in the film industry but emphasized that this should not come through mass layoffs. Morgan Freeman also took legal action against the unauthorized use of his voice copies.
Pope Leo XIV issued a statement last month warning about the risks of artificial intelligence. Scorsese’s latest move has highlighted the tension between embracing technology and protecting creative labor once again.
