Guillermo del Toro's Anti-AI Stance and Technological Vision in Frankenstein Adaptation
During his promotional tour for Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro expressed his fierce disapproval of artificial intelligence in the realm of art, prompting an audience at the Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles to chant "fuck AI!". In a 2024 discussion at London's BFI, he referred to AI-generated works as "semi-compelling screensavers" and declared he would "rather die" than collaborate with such technology. His adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic, set against the backdrop of the Crimean War, stars Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Christoph Waltz as arms manufacturer Henrich Harlander. Mia Goth portrays Elizabeth, who inspires Victor's scientific endeavors. Del Toro's narrative delves into the conflict between magic and science, highlighting the spectacle of technology while linking modern AI debates to historical technological aspirations.
Key facts
- Guillermo del Toro led anti-AI chants at Los Angeles's Chinese Theatre
- Del Toro called generative AI "semi-compelling screensavers" at BFI London in 2024
- The director stated he would "rather die" than work with AI in an NPR interview
- Del Toro's Frankenstein adaptation is set during the Crimean War
- Oscar Isaac plays Victor Frankenstein, Christoph Walz plays arms manufacturer Henrich Harlander
- The film features a wet collodion process camera, invented in 1851
- Mia Goth plays Elizabeth, an amateur entomologist who sees science as appreciating God's creations
- The article references Erik Davis's 1998 book TechGnosis
Entities
Artists
- Guillermo del Toro
- Mary Shelley
- Oscar Isaac
- Christoph Walz
- Mia Goth
- Hayao Miyazaki
- Erik Davis
- Leo Marx
- Michelle Santiago Cortés
Institutions
- BFI
- NPR
- Hunterian Museum
- ArtReview
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Mexico
- London
- United Kingdom
- New York
- Crimea