'You Shouldn't Be a Writer' — Seth Rogen Tells Filmmakers Using AI to Write Scripts to 'Go Do Something Else' - IGN

Seth Rogen has pushed back on the use of AI in movies, telling writers using the technology for their scripts to "go do something else."

The comedy filmmaker behind projects like The Studio and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem shared his thoughts on the controversial technology during a Cannes interview with Brut. His thoughts on artificial intelligence are pretty straightforward:

"I don't understand what it's supposed to do. Every time I see a video on Instagram that's like, 'Hollywood is cooked,' what follows is, like, the most stupid dog s**t I've ever seen in my life," Rogen said with a chuckle. "And if your instinct is to use AI and not go through that process, you shouldn't be a writer because then you're not writing. Go do something else."

Rogen has helped the comedy scene flourish with his work on movies like Superbad and Pineapple Express since the 2000s. More recently, he's received critical acclaim as a director, writer, and star in Apple TV's The Studio, a show that spent its first season tackling many of the issues Hollywood faces today.

Now, he's promoting Tangles, an animated film about Alzheimer's disease that stars himself, Bryan Cranston, Pamela Adlon, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Rogen confirmed that the movie, which premieres at Cannes but does not currently have a wider release date, features no AI, adding that "every frame has a human touch to it."

"And if you don't want to go through the process, you shouldn't be a writer," he added. "The idea of a tool that makes me write less is not appealing to me. Because I like writing."

Artificial intelligence has become an increasingly hot topic in the movie business in the last few years. While filmmakers like Terminator mastermind James Cameron suggest they are open to experimenting with AI, others, such as Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski, have railed against it. Meanwhile, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently announced a set of rule changes that will limit AI's presence at the Oscars.

Photo by Thibaud MORITZ / AFP via Getty Images.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).