Del Toro warns AI threatens cinema at BFI Fellowship

Acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro issued a stark warning about the dangers of artificial intelligence to the art of cinema during a speech in Hollywood on Monday, June 15. The director, known for films like "Pan's Labyrinth" and "The Shape of Water," was being honored with a prestigious Fellowship by the British Film Institute at a dinner hosted by BFI America.

Del Toro told the audience that the industry is "on the verge of image illiteracy" and "on the verge of cinema illiteracy." He described AI as a form of "natural stupidity" that threatens the sacred connection between human creators and the images they craft. "The pact between man and image is sacred, but we are in a time when that is in danger," he said. He argued that the purpose of an image is not merely to exist but "to connect us, to make us feel beauty," a quality he believes is lost when images are artificially generated.

The director, who has a long history of favoring practical effects over computer-generated imagery in his own work, framed his concerns within a broader context of challenges facing the industry, including corporate consolidation and political polarization. He emphasized the ancient lineage...