Martin Scorsese actually supports AI What impact will it have on the world of cinema?

The relationship between Hollywood and artificial intelligence continues to see new and unexpected developments. While the topic of AI is becoming increasingly central to the cultural debate, turning into a narrative engine in some stories such as the third season of The Comeback or into plot ideas as happened with the series Hacks, a new and unexpected champion in defense of digital tools has emerged, sparking no small amount of controversy: Martin Scorsese, a twentieth-century master of cinema, has in fact declared his support for the startup Black Forest Labs, an emerging company in the field of generative image creation for cinema, which the director and screenwriter used for his next film.

The application was reportedly used to draft the storyboards for the gothic thriller What Happens at Night, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, with the filmmaker stating that the use of Black Forest Labs allowed him to shape his vision more precisely and quickly.

The director and screenwriter also said he sees the introduction of AI into the seventh art as the natural evolution of a field that is still in its early stages: «I am interested in the meeting point between technology and storytelling, and in understanding how this collaboration can expand the boundaries of creativity to bring deeper and richer experiences to audiences», Scorsese said. He continued: «Let us remember that cinema is a young medium, barely 125 years old, so we must be open to the ways in which it can evolve».

It seems paradoxical to hear such statements from the same person who, in 2019, dismissed Marvel titles as “not cinema”, relegating them to the realm of theme parks, in the very same year that theaters were packed with people watching the final chapter of the Infinity Saga, Avengers: Endgame. Those who oppose AI in cinema will probably not be reassured by the fact that, for Martin Scorsese, its use is convenient only during the pre-production phase, when the ideas in his mind need to be translated into images.

Only later will they become “real” through the filming of flesh-and-blood people — done, one hopes, by flesh-and-blood people. «There has always been a problem», the filmmaker added. «How do you bring into reality the images you see inside your head?» And so, like a painter with a blank canvas, Black Forest Labs dissolves the director’s difficulties during the creative process, especially thanks to the image generator FLUX - as can also be seen in a video published on the startup’s channel.

If the push in favor of AI may seem at odds with what Martin Scorsese represents in the world of cinema, it should be considered that the director of Goodfellas and Taxi Driver has always been fascinated by the advancement and integration of technology within the film industry. This is demonstrated by his decision to shoot his 2011 film Hugo in 3D, a version that even reached the home market, not to mention the de-aging technique that rejuvenated his actors for the 2019 mafia epic The Irishman.

Certainly, support for artificial intelligence from a veteran like Scorsese risks opening a divide in a landscape that, especially since 2023 after the strike by writers and actors also over these tools, seemed to present a united front against the looming inevitability of digital development. And while the director probably will not care much about being called a “loser” by Hannah Einbinder, as the actress from Hacks called those who rely on AI, he may find comfort in those who, like him, seem to embrace a more moderate position on the matter.

There is, for example, James Cameron, who since 2024 has been on the board of directors of Stability AI, the company behind the machine-learning model Stable Diffusion. He sees the use of such tools as an opportunity, especially to cut the costs of special and visual effects, as well as a chance to push even further the potential of stories on the big screen.

Even Demi Moore during the press conference at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where she served on the jury, said she sees the fight against artificial intelligence as a losing battle, so it would be better to try to integrate it into the industry in the best possible way in order to make it truly useful. It is certainly unthinkable to believe that such statements from an authority like Martin Scorsese will not move something within Hollywood’s complex productive and creative system. All that remains, therefore, is to wait for the developments, impossible to imagine, whether with the use of AI or not.