Christopher Nolan Calls AI an 'Obvious Trojan Horse'
Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan, whose new film 'The Odyssey' is dominating the box office, compared artificial intelligence to a 'transparent Trojan horse' and praised the public's deep skepticism, especially among young people.
Christopher Nolan, the Oscar-winning director behind the hit new adaptation of "The Odyssey," has described artificial intelligence as a "transparent Trojan horse" that everyone knows is dangerous. In an interview with Hugo Travers, who runs the YouTube channel HugoDécrypte, Nolan responded to a question about whether AI could be something welcomed into daily life that later turns dark—much like the Trojan horse in his film. Laughing, Nolan said, "I think AI is a Trojan horse that everybody knows the Greeks are inside." He added that the technology is "a transparent horse, it's made of glass."
Nolan noted that he has "never seen a technology advancing so rapidly [that's been] so completely rejected by the public." He emphasized that suspicion is particularly strong among young people, who have coined terms like "AI slop" for AI-generated content. "It's a very healthy skepticism," he said, "because technology is always going to give us great gifts, but it has to be viewed with skepticism. The motives of the people giving it to us also have to be viewed with skepticism."
The director did not elaborate on specific threats from AI, but the technology has been a growing concern in Hollywood, especially during the 2023 writers' and actors' strikes. The Directors Guild of America, which Nolan leads, secured some protections against generative AI in its latest contract. Nolan has historically been resistant to other technologies, such as smartphones, and his commitment to film makes him appear both a Luddite and a pioneer. "The Odyssey" is the first feature film shot entirely on IMAX film and cameras. When asked by The New York Times if he considers himself a technophobe, Nolan replied, "I think of myself as a techno-skeptic." He said his love of film stems from it being "better in terms of representing the way the eye sees the world than any digital imaging system I've seen." He added, "I embrace new technology all the time, but it tends to be sold to people at the expense of systems that might still be valid and viable. That's what I saw in my industry — throwing the baby out with the bath water. We almost lost film!"
