'Gladiator II' Director Ridley Scott Says He's 'Trying to Embrace AI'

Ridley Scott is coming around to artificial intelligence, seeing generative AI as a valuable tool rather than a looming threat.

The legendary director of "Blade Runner," "Alien," and "Gladiator" shared last week that his views on AI have evolved, largely because of its potential to reduce production costs and open up new creative possibilities like animation.

“Now I’m trying to embrace AI,” Scott told the New York Times while promoting his new film, "Gladiator II." Scott’s shifting take on artificial intelligence is in stark contrast to his previous comments from 2023, when he likened the technology to a weapon of mass destruction.

At the height of the generative AI craze last year, Scott, who also directed the Alien prequel Prometheus, joined fellow directors Christopher Nolan and James Cameron in voicing concerns over AI’s potential dangers. Nolan and Cameron have both made blockbuster films about the dangers of technology with films like “Oppenheimer” and “The Terminator,” respectively.

While Scott may not think AI will cause the downfall of humanity, he did acknowledge the technology’s impact on Hollywood.

“I don’t think it’s going to create jobs except for very high-end specialists,” he said. “You can have done in a week what would take 10 guys 10 weeks.”

Scott’s sentiment echoes those of actor and entrepreneur Ashton Kutcher, who faced backlash after stepping into Hollywood’s AI debate in June when he praised OpenAI’s Sora tool.

“Why would you go out and shoot an establishing shot of a house in a television show when you could just create the establishing shot for $100? To go out and shoot it would cost you thousands of dollars,” Kutcher said, according to Variety. “Action scenes of me jumping off of this building, you don’t have to have a stunt person go do it, you could just go do it.”

Kutcher’s arguments for AI’s cost-saving potential in production were controversial, to say the least, leading to the actor to walk back his comments on social media.

Despite the potential threat of AI to impact jobs, for filmmakers like Scott Mann, the technology offers the ability to be more flexible—and believes it's something the entertainment industry should join Scott in embracing.

"AI-powered tools offer filmmakers greater freedom and flexibility, reducing shoot time and costs while still allowing them to perfect scenes in post-production,” Mann told Decrypt. “This shift enables a more agile, less linear approach to filmmaking, enhancing creativity without compromising the artistic vision. However, it’s crucial that AI is used ethically and responsibly.”

With AI being one of the major factors in the 2023 SAG-AFTRA, WGA strikes, and the ongoing video game actors strike, Mann—who directed Robert De Niro in the 2015 crime caper "Heist"—emphasized the need for studios not to replace creators with AI.

“Human creatives must remain at the forefront, ensuring AI enriches both the audience and artists’ experiences,” Mann said. “AI should be a tool to enhance human creativity, not replace it."

Edited by Andrew Hayward