As Hollywood continues to try and figure out how AI programs will be integrated into the industry, Zack Snyder is offering his take. And for the director, the answer is somewhat “simplified”: he thinks “humans need to be human.”
Snyder weighed in on the topic in the newest episode of Josh Horowitz’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, recorded at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. The director initially hemmed and hawed as he found how to articulate his thoughts, and admitted that he does use AI programs in his daily life.
“Do I have ChatGPT on my phone? I do,” he admitted. “Right now, how [AI’s] going to be used in cinema in the future, I just hope we’re not making, you know, full AI images that are being sold as like, you know — I think that once the humans are AI, I’m a little concerned, how’s that?”
“I know that feels simplified, but I think it’s the most — I think the humans need to be human,” he continued.
When it comes to visual effects though, Snyder didn’t draw as hard of a line on the use of AI.
“I know that it’s going to get muddy, and it’s going to get — you know, because visual effects, it’s such a slippery slope,” he said. “Because visual effects, you know, traditional CG visual effects, and now AI visual effects, are very, you know, the line between those two things is very, it’s blurry. And it’s hard to put your finger on it. But you can always say that humans need to be human.”
Snyder also made it clear that he doesn’t think AI should be used to design and set up entire shots in any film.
“AI should make no shots. Humans should make shots, and humans should be in movies,” he said. “That’s kind of how it should be.”
You can watch Snyder’s full appearance on “Happy Sad Confused” in the video above.
