Highlights
- Martin Scorsese has joined AI startup Black Forest Labs as a partner and adviser
- The director says he will use the technology solely for storyboarding
- Black Forest Labs powers image-generation tools used by several major technology companies
- The move reflects a changing attitude towards AI in parts of Hollywood
Scorsese sees AI as a filmmaking tool
Martin Scorsese has become an unlikely supporter of artificial intelligence after signing on as a partner and adviser to AI image-generation company Black Forest Labs.
The Oscar-winning director said his use of the technology will be limited to storyboarding, a process he has personally undertaken throughout his career. Speaking about the partnership, Scorsese said the tool allows him to communicate ideas to cinematographers and production designers more quickly and effectively.
Rather than using AI to create finished scenes, he views it as a way to visualise concepts during the early stages of production.
The company behind the technology
Headquartered in Freiburg, Germany, Black Forest Labs was founded by the team behind Stable Diffusion and has rapidly established itself as a major player in the AI sector.
Its image-generation technology is used by companies including Adobe, Canva, Microsoft and Meta. The startup was recently valued at $3.25 billion and counts BroadLight Capital, co-founded by Scorsese's talent manager Rick Yorn, among its investors.
The company has also reportedly declined a potential partnership with Elon Musk's xAI following concerns about content safeguards.
A sign of Hollywood's shifting relationship with AI
Scorsese's decision is notable because it comes at a time when artificial intelligence remains a contentious issue across the entertainment industry.
While many filmmakers and creatives continue to express concerns about AI's impact on jobs and originality, Scorsese's involvement highlights a growing willingness to use the technology in limited and practical ways.
His partnership with Black Forest Labs suggests that some of Hollywood's most respected figures are beginning to explore how AI can support the filmmaking process without replacing the human creativity at its heart.
