Generative artificial intelligence introduced a complicated array of benefits and drawbacks, but iconic filmmaker Guillermo del Toro had a straightforward response to a recent question about AI in film, according to Variety.
AI tools like large language models and video generators like OpenAI's Sora have arguably lowered the bar to creative expression, but generative AI remains broadly unpopular among artists, writers, actors, and filmmakers like del Toro.
More broadly, critics of the technology have expressed wide-ranging concerns about AI's societal impact. Chatbot usage has also been linked with some instances of "AI psychosis," mental health crises worsened by AI.
Research conducted in 2024 indicated chatbots had the potential to exacerbate the spread of disinformation, an issue that has proved problematic in academia, too.
These concerns intensified in late September with the controversial release of OpenAI's Sora 2, enabling users to create convincing-yet-fake videos with ease. Even if a user's intent is innocent, AI-generated clips are still taken out of context by others and shared misleadingly.
As Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica, an AI-sourced video initially labeled as such was quickly shared to other platforms, intentionally misrepresented as authentic footage of the storm. But misinformation is just one problem associated with generative AI.
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AI's impact on energy costs and the environment has emerged as the technology becomes more prevalent. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has notoriously refused to disclose basic information about its impact on the environment and resource usage.
In the absence of firm data, computing experts estimated that GPT-5 could use the same amount of energy daily as 1.5 million American households. At the same time, the explosion of AI data centers has led to spiking electric bills in much of the U.S.
Generative AI is also a massive drain on water resources. In 2023, when the technology was nascent, estimates suggested that training early ChatGPT models like GPT-3 consumed as much as 185,000 gallons of water per day.
Microsoft acknowledged that the amount of water it used for AI doubled between 2021 and 2022. However, AI firms like OpenAI have become reluctant to disclose their current energy and water use, suggesting that the information withheld would anger the public.
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Absolutely 💯 As such, del Toro's view on generative AI perhaps bodes well — were Hollywood to adopt the technology at scale, these impacts would likely worsen.
"The other day, somebody wrote me an email, [and] said, 'What is your stance on AI?' And my answer was very short," the filmmaker began, according to Variety.
"I said, 'I'd rather die,'" del Toro added.
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