People 'disdain' AI, says director Christopher Nolan

Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan told the media he believed the kind of movies he makes -- big-budget action films shot mostly on location -- would survive the spread of AI, a technology he says many people "disdain".

The "Oppenheimer" and "The Dark Knight" director is promoting his latest blockbuster, an adaptation of the Greek epic "The Odyssey".

"The interesting thing with AI is I've never seen a technology that's been so successfully adopted by Wall Street and by investors and by tech companies that the public has so thoroughly rejected," he told the media in Paris.

"It's just sort of an odd thing. Young people in particular, they coined this term 'AI slop'," he added. "There's a sort of disdain for things AI."

AI has been infused into business applications and online search services, and chatbots such as ChatGPT have been widely adopted, but the technology faces major pushback in the creative industries such as music, cinema and art.

Director Christopher Nolan and producer Emma Thomas attend the "The Odyssey" world premiere in London, Britain, on Monday. Reuters

"AI slop" refers to the flood of AI-generated text, video and audio content that has inundated social media in recent years.

AI claims are 'nonsense'

"The Odyssey" has a reported budget of $250 million, which enabled Nolan to travel to locations throughout the Mediterranean with a stellar cast that includes Matt Damon in the lead role as Odysseus, supported by Zendaya, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson and Anne Hathaway.

Nolan has been attacked by Elon Musk and other far-right figures for casting black actress Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy, who in Greek mythology was the most beautiful woman in the world.

The British-American director, who once again makes use of spectacular special effects in "The Odyssey", added that he expected AI to result in some useful "imaging tools".

"But I think the idea that it replaces human beings wholesale and human creativity, to me it's a nonsense," he added.

Mia Goth (from left), Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, and Tom Holland pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film 'The Odyssey' in London.

The AI industry has touted the potential of the technology to replace actors, writers and camera operators -- claims that have spread panic in movie-making circles, though also plenty of scepticism.

It was one of the issues behind a huge strike in Hollywood in 2023 that shuttered productions and cost studios billions of dollars.

"The Odyssey" is an Ancient Greek poem believed to have been written by Homer that is considered a cornerstone of Western literature and one of the finest stories ever created.

It recounts the titular hero's 10-year quest to return home from war and includes some of the most famous Ancient Greek myths, including one-eyed monster Cyclops and the Sirens.

Agence France-Presse