Paul Schrader ‘Stunned’ by ChatGPT’s Movie Ideas, Calls Them ‘Original’ and ‘Fleshed Out’
Many in Hollywood have been critical of AI-created work, but “Raging Bull” and “Taxi Driver” screenwriter Paul Schrader is not on that list. The screenwriter and director took to Facebook to praise the technology, specifically ChatGPT.
“I’M STUNNED,” Schrader wrote last Friday. During his post, he noted he asked ChatGPT for “an idea for Paul Schrader film.” He then repeated the request for Paul Thomas Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, Harmony Korine, Ingmar Bergman, Roberto Rossellini, Fritz Lang, Martin Scorsese, F.W. Murnau, Frank Capra, John Ford, Steven Spielberg and David Lynch.
“Every idea chatgpt came up with (in a few seconds) was good. And original. And fleshed out,” Schrader wrote. “Why should writers sit around for months searching for a good idea when AI can provide one in seconds?”
The “American Gigolo” director’s post was met with criticism on his Facebook account. “You should try not using ai. Might work out for you,” one user posted. Many other pointed out that the prompts only worked for Schrader because great artists like David Lynch and John Ford existed.
AI apps like ChatGPT can only draw from previously created work, and as such, they can never be wholly original. So AI can create an idea that feels like David Lynch, but if Lynch never existed, it could likely not generate an idea that felt as emotional, unsettling and surprising as Lynch’s work. It should also be noted that there is a big divide between having a Lynchian idea for a movie and actually creating a film that’s on par with the late filmmaker’s work.
Still another user summed up their displeasure more concisely. “Jesus Paul … stop promoting that s–t, please,” they wrote.
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