Martin Scorsese has been accused of “throwing artists under the bus” after announcing an investment in an AI company and using the technology to create storyboards. The director defended the move, describing it as “creatively freeing”.
The New York Times reported that Scorsese became a partner and adviser to Black Forest Labs, a German text-to-image generative AI company, in 2025. In a statement, Scorsese said he was “interested in the intersection of technology and storytelling” and that the tool allowed him to share his visualisations “more clearly and efficiently”.
Storyboard and concept artists reacted angrily. Karla Ortiz, who worked on Marvel films including Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame, said on social media: “He throws every single storyboard artist he’s ever worked with under the bus … To use his legacy and power for this is just so disgusting.” Samuel Deats, director of Castlevania, added: “There is absolutely no reason to need AI built on the stolen work of millions of artists to storyboard your vision.”
Scorsese joins other film figures embracing AI, such as Steven Soderbergh and Gareth Edwards. However, there is no suggestion Scorsese plans to use AI images in final films, only in preproduction. He said the technology allowed him to “move faster without sacrificing quality or craft”.
