‘Taxi Driver’ screenwriter calls AI ‘smarter’ and ‘better’ than Oscar-nominated writers

Screenwriter Paul Schrader, known for his critically acclaimed works like “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull” and “First Reformed,” surprised fans when he shared his apparent approval of artificial intelligence.

In a series of posts last week, the Oscar-nominee marveled at AI and ChatGPT’s capabilities when it came to his profession.

“I’ve just come to realize AI is smarter than I am. Has better ideas, has more efficient ways to execute them,” he wrote on Jan 16. 

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

He continued, “This is an existential moment, akin to what Kasparov felt in 1997 when he realized Deep Blue was going to beat him at chess,” referring to Russian chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, who famously faced off with an IBM supercomputer named Deep Blue in tournament play and lost.

Later that same day, Schrader shared another post, saying, “I just sent ChatGPT a script I’d written some years ago and asked for improvements. In five seconds it responded with notes as good or better than I’ve ever received from a film executive.”

On Jan 17, Schrader declared he was “stunned” by ChatGPT’s capabilities. 

He wrote, “I just asked ChatGPT for ‘an idea for Paul Schrader film.’ Then Paul Thomas Anderson. Then Quentin Tarantino. Then Harmony Korine. Then Ingmar Bergman. Then Rossellini. Lang. Scorsese. Murnau. Capra. Ford. Spielberg. Lynch. Every idea ChatGPT came up with (in a few seconds) was good. And original. And fleshed out.

“Why should writers sit around for months searching for a good idea when AI can provide one in seconds?”

“I’ve just come to realize AI is smarter than I am. Has better ideas, has more efficient ways to execute them.”

— Paul Schrader

The last post, as well as the others, generated a lot of discussion in the comments, with many surprised that a veteran screenwriter and director would express such interest in the technology.

WHAT IS CHATGPT?

“It’s not that great, Paul. I get the first impression, I did the same thing. But read a few paragraphs and you’ll see— it is an empty vessel. Zero emotional content (which in art, is kind of important),” one person wrote.

“I doubt AI could ever write a line as enduring and resonate as ‘Someday a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets,’” another said, referring to Schrader’s “Taxi Driver” screenplay.

“Why should writers sit around for months searching for a good idea when AI can provide one in seconds?”

— Paul Schrader

One person called out AI models’ need to train on existing materials, writing, “In order for this to even happen, there first has to BE a Paul Schrader, a Paul Thomas Anderson, a Quentin Tarantino, etc. ChatGPT can’t give you prompts if these writers didn’t put their work out there first. This way of thinking stunts future writers from having voices themselves/doing the work to find their voice. Sure, this can give us somewhat compelling versions of these works, but we won’t get any new voices to emerge because AI won’t even know them.”

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Several people also joked that Schrader’s page had been hacked, given how many posts he shared about AI, with some asking “did AI write this?”

Schrader also praised the 2013 film “Her,” starring Joaquin Phoenix as a man who falls for an AI operating system, voiced by Scarlett Johansson.

“It’s even more relevant, prescient and deeply creepy than it was ten years ago. This film grows in stature. I liked it then, I love it now. There’s only one like it,” he said of the film.

The “American Gigolo” writer and director’s career has shown no signs of slowing. He released the drama “Oh, Canada,” starring Richard Gere and Jacob Elordi last year, and has a film noir about “sexual obsession,” titled “Non Compos Mentis,” per Variety.