Backrooms director Kane Parsons says generative AI takes away the creative satisfaction he finds in filmmaking. His comments arrive as some major Hollywood figures are moving in the opposite direction. The debate around AI in movies continues to divide filmmakers. While some directors see AI as a useful production tool, Parsons has shared that he has little interest in relying on the technology for his own creative work.
Kane Parsons says use of AI ‘defeats the purpose’ of filmmaking
The 20-year-old filmmaker behind Backrooms recently shared his thoughts during an interview with The Australian. Parsons said he would happily see generative AI disappear if given the choice. “If I could snap my fingers and make generative AI disappear forever, I probably would,” he said. Parsons added that using such tools brings him no creative fulfillment, explaining, “It defeats the purpose entirely for me (Via Variety).”
The YouTuber/director isn’t completely against AI. He admitted it could be pretty useful for handling certain visual-effects jobs and cutting down on some of the boring, repetitive work. However, Parsons also feels the conversation around AI isn’t that simple. From his point of view, there are already real-world consequences tied to the technology’s rapid growth, which makes it tough to talk about it as just another filmmaking tool.
Interestingly, Kane Pixels is not avoiding the topic altogether. He said he is interested in exploring AI as a subject within future stories. He described the flood of AI-generated images online and in advertising as part of today’s visual culture, calling generative AI less of an innovation and more of a “symptom of a broader cultural and economic rot.” Rather than using AI to create art, he wants to examine what it represents through filmmaking.
Parsons’ stance contrasts with that of acclaimed director Martin Scorsese, who recently partnered with AI company Black Forest Labs as an adviser. Scorsese said he is interested in how technology and storytelling can work together to expand creative possibilities. The filmmaker explained that AI tools can help him communicate visual ideas more clearly to production designers, cinematographers and other collaborators during pre-production.
