Taxi Driver writer Paul Schrader predicts first AI feature film within 2 years

Oscar-winning screenwriter Paul Schrader has embraced social media film criticism and expressed his readiness to create an AI-generated movie, marking a notable shift for the 79-year-old filmmaker behind classics like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. His openness to artificial intelligence in filmmaking reflects his belief that cinema is on the cusp of a major technological transformation, predicting that “we’re only two years away from the first AI feature.”

What you should know: Schrader has become an unlikely social media pioneer among veteran filmmakers, using Facebook to share candid film criticism that frequently goes viral across platforms.

• He maintains about 56,000 Facebook followers and personally manages his account without a social media team.
• His posts regularly get screenshotted and shared on Twitter, extending his reach beyond his direct followers.
• He immediately blocks users who engage in “vitriol” or name-calling, preferring constructive film discussions.

His controversial takes: Schrader doesn’t hold back when critiquing contemporary cinema, making headlines with his blunt assessments.

• He called Saltburn a “bad film” and Joker: Folie à Deux a “really bad musical.”
• He’s declared that modern moviegoing audiences are “dumber” than they used to be.
• His posts often ask provocative questions like “What market was this made for?” about films with unclear financing or target audiences.

Why AI excites him: Schrader views artificial intelligence as simply another filmmaking tool, comparable to how writers use words to describe emotions.

• “When you’re an author, you have to describe someone’s reaction. You use a code–you use a code of words… Well, now you’re a pixelator, and you can create the face, and you can create the emotion on the face,” he explained.
• He recently told someone about a script he had, saying “this would be a perfect script to do all AI.”
• He believes AI film coverage is already superior to average human coverage because it doesn’t have to favor anyone financially.

The bigger picture: Schrader argues that cinema is undergoing its most significant transformation since its inception, moving away from traditional two-dimensional projection.

• “Cinema for most of its history has been a two dimensional thing that was projected out of a wall in the dark room, and that is going away now. It’s becoming a much more environmental experience.”
• He sees streaming as returning cinema to generic “the movies” consumption rather than specific film appreciation.
• The era of celebrity film critics like Pauline Kael has ended, with major newspapers like the Chicago Tribune no longer employing daily film critics.

What he’s saying: Schrader remains optimistic about embracing new technology while maintaining critical standards.

• “AI is taking over film coverage, as you must know. AI does better coverage than the average coverage. And AI doesn’t have to favor anybody.”
• On potentially reading AI film reviews: “Well, AI is taking over film coverage… But of course, we can teach it to be biased.”
• He still sees two movies per week in theaters, most recently viewing Roofman and planning to see Kiss of the Spider Woman.