Martin Scorsese embraces AI, teams up with company Black Forest Labs

Martin Scorsese has joined Black Forest Labs, a Germany-based AI company, as an adviser to explore its FLUX generative AI model for filmmaking. The Oscar-winning director, known for films like *Taxi Driver* and *The Aviator*, has been using the tool to create storyboards for an upcoming project, describing it as a way to visualize scenes quickly and share them with crews. Scorsese, 83, noted that AI could reduce pre-production time and costs while maintaining quality, comparing it to other technological advancements in cinema like 3D and de-aging effects. The collaboration was facilitated by BroadLight Capital, an investment firm linked to Scorsese’s manager, Rick Yorn. Black Forest Labs CEO Robin Rombach called Scorsese’s involvement a validation of the technology’s potential. The director demonstrated the FLUX model in a video, showing how it could help plan complex sequences, such as the Copacabana Steadicam shot from *Goodfellas*, more efficiently. Scorsese’s embrace of AI aligns with a broader trend among top directors. James Cameron, creator of *Titanic* and *Avatar*, serves on the board of Stability AI, which develops Stable Diffusion, while *Lord of the Rings* director Peter Jackson has expressed openness to AI as a creative tool. However, not all in Hollywood share this view. Steven Spielberg has cautioned against AI writing scripts, and Guillermo del Toro has vehemently rejected its use, calling it incompatible with artistic integrity. The partnership underscores AI’s growing role in film production, offering directors new ways to enhance workflows. Black Forest Labs, founded in 2024, positions itself at the intersection of creativity and technology, with Scorsese’s endorsement likely to attract further industry attention. The debate over AI’s place in filmmaking continues, with some seeing it as a natural evolution and others warning of potential creative risks.