Copyright Polygon
As the debate about whether to use artificial intelligence in Hollywood — and how much people should rely on it — continues, another rather vocal opponent has joined the chorus of screenwriters and filmmakers speaking out against the technology. That person is Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan. In a wide-ranging interview with Polygon about his upcoming Apple TV series, Pluribus, the topic of AI came up, and Gilligan didn't mince his words. "I have not used ChatGPT, because, as of yet, no one has held a shotgun to my head and made me do it," Gilligan said. "I will never use it. No offense to anyone who does." Gilligan now stands side-by-side with other notable creators who have publicly spoken out on the topic of artificial intelligence and its role in film and TV. Recently, Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein) made it clear he has no plans to use AI in his work. "AI, particularly generative AI — I am not interested, nor will I ever be interested," he told Variety. "I’m 61, and I hope to be able to remain uninterested in using it at all until I croak." Del Toro then recalled someone recently asking where he stands on the topic of AI. His answer was simple: "I’d rather die." Another noted screenwriter — and beloved actress — recently sounded off on the growing popularity of the technology, calling it an "intense irritation." Emma Thompson, best known for her role as Sybill Trelawney in the Harry Potter franchise and the leading role in the Nanny McPhee films, is also an accomplished screenwriter and script doctor. She's written numerous films over the years, including 1995's Sense and Sensibility — for which she won an Oscar — both Nanny McPhee films, and even has an uncredited writing role in 2005's Pride and Prejudice. During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, she sounded off on the influx of AI. "When I’ve written something, I will put it into a Word document," she says. "And, recently, the Word document is constantly saying, ‘Would you like me to rewrite that for you?’ And so, I end up just going, ‘I don’t need you to fucking rewrite what I’ve just written. Will you fuck off? Just fuck off!’ I’m so annoyed."
