August 25, 2025
About a week ago, I profiled director Darren Aronofsky and his bid to enter the AI filmmaking arena via his new Primordial Soup production studio, in partnership with Google. Now, Aronofsky is defending his decision publicly, most notably in an exchange with a reporter from the UK’s The Guardian.
“These [AI] tools are coming. They’re being used at an incredible adoption rate, but they’re mostly being used for slop. So I feel that, as storytellers, we need to harness these tools to help us do our work. There are a lot of artists who are fighting against AI, but I don’t see that as making any sense. If we don’t shape these tools, somebody else will,” says Aronofsky.
But rather than slurp up the AI soup Aronofsky is serving, the Guardian pushes back. “You keep calling [AI] tools,” the Guardian responds, with seeming skepticism. Indication of that AI wariness by the media outlet is tipped off by the article framing the discussion with references to the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, which largely focused on AI, and concerns that the tech will be used to replace human writers.
Aronosky “shoots back” (the Guardian’s words) and says, “They are tools.” After which, the Guardian layers in more doubt about Aronofsky’s conviction by writing, “But we’re not talking about putting a new paintbrush in the hands of an artist. We’re talking about potentially replacing the artist.”
Then things seem to get a bit contentious:
“No, no, that’s not happening,” [Aronofsky] says, properly vexed by the notion. “People are still going to be making films in the traditional way. But the technology is happening, the tools are happening. So it’s like if someone invents fire. You don’t say, ‘Oh, let’s not mess with this because it might burn down our house.’ There’s never been a technology that shows up that people aren’t going to use.”
This is just the beginning of what is likely to become an ongoing debate among Hollywood insiders who favor AI, and staunch refuseniks who believe it represents the end of true cinematic artistry. That touchy exchange is just a hint of what’s to come.
Properly vexed, indeed!
Cover via Darren Aronofsky/X.com
