Art Directors Guild Calls Scorsese’s AI Partnership a ‘Betrayal’ of Cinema’s Human Craft

Martin Scorsese’s decision to serve as an advisor for Black Forest Labs, an AI firm, has sparked sharp backlash from the Art Directors Guild, IATSE Local 800. In a statement Tuesday, the union accused the Oscar-winning director of “turning his back on the human artists” who helped bring his films to life.

The dispute centers on a promotional video for Black Forest Labs’ generative AI tool, Flux, which Scorsese endorsed for storyboarding. In the clip, Scorsese asks, “How do you communicate what you see in your head to your cast and crew?” and suggests Flux as a solution. The guild fired back, arguing the tool directly replaces the work of its members—art directors, illustrators, production designers, set designers, and scenic artists—who have spent decades collaborating with directors.

“Generative AI is only capable of producing this type of ‘cinematic intelligence’ by ingesting large swaths of copyrighted work, likely scraped from the internet without consent, credit, compensation, or transparency,” the statement reads. It concludes that Scorsese’s promotion of the tool is “a betrayal of the collaborative nature of cinema.”

Scorsese, in a separate statement, defended his role. He noted he has storyboarded for 70 years and sees AI as a way to “share what I’m visualizing more clearly and efficiently” with his creative team. He pointed to past use of 3D in *Hugo* and de-aging in *The Irishman* as examples of embracing new technology. “Time costs money,” he said, “and this allowed us to move faster without sacrificing quality or craft.”

The guild remains unconvinced. As AI continues to divide Hollywood, the clash highlights a growing tension between innovation and the protection of human artistry.