Paul Schrader Teases “A Perfect Script To Do All AI”

Let’s hope Tilly Norwood has signed with an agent, because Paul Schrader appears to have just the project for Hollywood’s growing dependence on AI.

The Oscar nominee recently said that he expects movies to be “more and more AI” in the coming years, noting that he’s read a “perfect script to do all AI” and even entertaining the idea of AI-penned reviews.

“I think we’re only two years away from the first AI feature,” Schrader told Vanity Fair, adding: “I was just on the phone with someone today about a script I had, and I said, ‘You know, this would be a perfect script to do all AI.’”

Defending his stance, Schrader said AI is “just a tool,” explaining, “When you’re an author, you have to describe someone’s reaction. You use a code—you use a code of words, a certain number of letters, and so forth, and you express their facial reaction. An actor has their own code. Well, now you’re a pixelator, and you can create the face, and you can create the emotion on the face, and you can sculpt it the same way an author sculpts the reaction in a novel or a story.”

When asked if he’d read an AI-written film review, Schrader admitted that he thinks the technology would serve as the ultimate unbiased critic, despite his early years reviewing movies. Meanwhile, AI is not able to form opinions.

“Well, AI is taking over film coverage, as you must know. AI does better coverage than the average coverage,” he claimed. “And AI doesn’t have to favor anybody. Often, when you’re doing coverage, you get a hint that the person who’s paying you wants you to like this. You can’t give that information to AI.”

Granted, Schrader did concede, “But of course, we can teach [AI] to be biased.”

The Oh Canada writer-director has previously preached the gospel of AI, posting that he was “STUNNED” by the scripts ChatGPT put together when he asked for “an idea for a Paul Schrader film,” as well as using other directors for prompts.

“Every idea ChatGPT came up with (in a few seconds) was good. And original. And fleshed out,” wrote Schrader in January. “Why should writers sit around for months searching for a good idea when AI can provide one in seconds?”