Martin Scorsese has been appointed as a partner and adviser to Black Forest Labs, a German-based artificial intelligence company specializing in text-to-image generative technology. The New York Times reported the arrangement began in 2025, and Scorsese has stated he uses the AI tools to create storyboards for his filmmaking work.
The announcement has sparked sharp criticism from fellow filmmakers and creative professionals who view the partnership as a betrayal of working artists. Boots Riley, director of "Sorry to Bother You," responded bluntly to the news, suggesting Scorsese received substantial compensation for the role. "Boots Riley came out swinging," according to Deadline, guessing that Scorsese joined the firm as an adviser "to help provide for his family and that Scorsese doesn't give a fuck since he thinks AI will fall on its face anyway."
The backlash reflects growing tension in the entertainment industry over artificial intelligence's role in creative work. The Guardian reported that artists feel betrayed by Scorsese's endorsement, accusing him of throwing them under the bus by lending his considerable credibility to AI development in filmmaking.
Scorsese has defended his involvement with the technology, describing it as "creatively freeing." He has emphasized that the immediacy of communicating his vision to cast and crew through AI-generated storyboards enhances his creative process. The BBC noted that his endorsement carries significant weight given his legendary status in cinema and his long history of advocating for film preservation and traditional filmmaking methods.
The controversy highlights deeper concerns within the entertainment industry about job displacement. Writers, actors, and visual artists have expressed worry that AI tools could replace human creative labor. Artist and writer Jess Harwood published an opinion piece in The Guardian arguing that AI art is "boring, soulless theft" that kills the planet through energy-intensive data centers. She wrote that as a visual artist seeing AI-generated images presented as art, "I see red."
The divide over AI adoption continues to widen as prominent figures take opposing positions. Kane Parsons, the 20-year-old director behind the Backrooms series, recently told The Australian that using AI defeats the purpose of filmmaking and that he gets no enjoyment from such tools.
Black Forest Labs specializes in generative AI technology capable of creating images and visual content from text descriptions. The company has attracted significant interest in the venture capital world, with AI investments and valuations reaching unprecedented levels across the technology sector.
Scorsese's partnership marks one of the most high-profile endorsements of AI in creative industries, making the backlash particularly notable given his stature and his previous advocacy for traditional filmmaking approaches.