Martin Scorsese faces backlash for AI storyboard investment
Storyboard artists are pretty upset with Martin Scorsese after he revealed he's investing in AI-generated storyboards. In 2025, he teamed up with Black Forest Labs, a German firm that focuses on text-to-image AI. Scorsese believes this tech helps him better communicate his vision to his team, calling it 'creatively freeing.' Karla Ortiz, a concept artist from Marvel’s Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame, accused him of letting down storyboard artists. Samuel Deats, who directed Castlevania, criticized AI for relying on the 'stolen work of millions of artists.' Scorsese is in the same camp as filmmakers like Steven Soderbergh and Gareth Edwards, but he clarified he’ll only use AI in the preproduction phase, not during filming.
Key facts
- Martin Scorsese invested in and uses AI storyboards from Black Forest Labs.
- He was appointed as a partner and adviser to Black Forest Labs in 2025.
- Black Forest Labs is a German text-to-image generative AI company.
- Concept artist Karla Ortiz criticized Scorsese for throwing storyboard artists under the bus.
- Samuel Deats, director of Castlevania, said AI is built on stolen work of millions of artists.
- Steven Soderbergh used AI sequences in his documentary John Lennon: The Last Interview.
- Gareth Edwards called AI 'a fucking genius at helping you.'
- Jane Rosenthal defended screening a fully AI-generated film about protesters in Iran.
- Scorsese said he uses AI only in preproduction, not in final films.
Entities
Artists
- Martin Scorsese
- Karla Ortiz
- Samuel Deats
- Steven Soderbergh
- Gareth Edwards
- Jane Rosenthal
- Darren Aronofsky
- Val Kilmer
- Steven Spielberg
- Guillermo Del Toro
- Adam Shankman
- RuPaul
- John Lennon
Institutions
- Black Forest Labs
- Tribeca film festival
- Marvel
- Avengers: Endgame
- Black Panther
- Doctor Strange
Locations
- New York
- Germany