Martin Scorsese becomes the latest — and most unlikely — Hollywood voice for AI
Renowned director Martin Scorsese has joined AI image-generation startup Black Forest Labs as a partner and advisor, utilizing their technology for storyboarding to enhance his creative process. This move signals a softening resistance to AI within Hollywood, as prominent figures begin to embrace its potential applications in filmmaking.
Martin Scorsese, the legendary director, has joined Black Forest Labs, an AI image-generation startup, as a partner and advisor. His primary use for the technology is storyboarding, a critical phase in filmmaking where he visually plans out scenes. Scorsese stated that for 70 years, he has been creating his own storyboards, and this tool allows him to communicate his vision to his team more efficiently.
Black Forest Labs, headquartered in Freiburg, Germany, despite its unusual location, is a significant player in the AI image generation space. The company powers image features for major tech companies like Adobe, Canva, Microsoft, and Meta. It was recently valued at $3.25 billion by investors, including BroadLight Capital, co-founded by Scorsese's talent manager, Rick Yorn.
The startup was founded by the team behind Stable Diffusion. Notably, they declined a partnership with Elon Musk's xAI for Grok's image generator due to concerns about the platform's content safeguards, according to Wired.
Scorsese's involvement, even if limited to storyboarding, marks a significant shift. It suggests that Hollywood's initial strong resistance to AI is starting to wane, with prominent figures exploring and adopting its applications in the entertainment industry. This development highlights a broader trend of AI integration into creative fields.
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