Oscar-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan has compared artificial intelligence to a “transparent Trojan horse,” arguing that while the technology promises major benefits, the public is increasingly wary of the motives behind it, writes Deadline.
Speaking to French YouTuber Hugo Décrypte, the The Odyssey director referenced the famous Greek myth in which the Greeks hid inside a wooden horse presented as a gift to Troy.
“I think AI is a Trojan horse that everybody knows the Greeks are inside,” Nolan said. “It’s a transparent horse, it’s made of glass. Everybody can see what’s going on inside of there.”
Nolan said the rapid rise of AI has been met with unusually strong public scepticism, particularly among younger generations.
“I’ve never seen a technology advancing so rapidly, so completely rejected by the public,” he said. “Everybody’s suspicion of it is so extreme, particularly young people.”
The filmmaker pointed to the growing popularity of the term “AI slop” among Gen Z to describe low-quality AI-generated content, calling the reaction “a very healthy scepticism.”
“Technology is always going to give us great gifts, but it has to be viewed with scepticism,” Nolan explained.
“The motives of the people giving it to us also have to be viewed with scepticism. That’s when we’ll get the best out of a new technology, rather than just blind faith.”
His remarks come as billionaire Elon Musk continues to promote Grok Imagine, an AI filmmaking tool he claims will produce a “historically accurate” adaptation of The Odyssey by the end of the year.
Musk has repeatedly criticised Nolan’s adaptation, including objecting to the ethnicity of some cast members—a criticism Nolan has dismissed as “irrelevant.”
The debate reflects the broader conversation surrounding AI’s growing role in entertainment.
Hollywood continues to grapple with questions over artificial intelligence, copyright, creative ownership and its impact on filmmaking, issues that have remained at the centre of industry discussions in recent years.
