Natasha Lyonne Sparks Backlash After Quoting David Lynch

Forbes

2 days ago

Natasha Lyonne quoted the late director David Lynch in defense of her AI filmmaking. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)
Natasha Lyonne (creator and star of Russian Doll) sparked backlash after announcing that her directorial debut, Uncanny Valley, will utilize generative AI.
Now, Lyonne has invoked the late director David Lynch in defense of her AI experiment.
Many creatives working in film and entertainment are firmly opposed to the use of AI, and have criticized Lyonne for embracing the technology.
Lyonne's memory of a private conversation she had with David Lynch, however, proved even more controversial.
Lyonne claims that David Lynch gave her advice and encouragement regarding AI, comparing the technology to a pencil.
'Everyone has access to a pencil, and likewise, everyone with a phone will be using AI, if they aren't already,' Lynch reportedly said. 'It's how you use the pencil. You see?'
This quote was included in the end of a lengthy piece by Vulture, exploring early uses of generative AI in Hollywood.
While the piece is packed with interesting quotes and anecdotes, Lynch's quote struck many readers as distasteful.
Several reckoned that it was unfair to quote the legendary director after his death.
Some commentators outright refused to believe that Lynch actually said the quote to Lyonne, citing the director's love of practical effects.
The wave of criticism even inspired a meme, as commentators joked about receiving Lynch's blessing.
Others noted that Lynch may well have encouraged Lyonne to experiment with AI, but that his offhand comment should not be taken as gospel.
After all, Lynch is no longer with us, and cannot expand upon the quote with more context or clarity.
As strange as it might seem, Lynch has spoken positively about AI in the past. In an interview with Sight and Sound, Lynch described AI as 'fantastic.'
'I know a lot of people are afraid of it,' said Lynch.' I'm sure, like everything, they say it'll be used for good or for bad. I think it'd be incredible as a tool for creativity and for machines to help creativity.'
However, Lynch also noted: 'I'm sure with all these things, if money is the bottom line, there'd be a lot of sadness, and despair and horror. But I'm hoping better times are coming.'
Some commentators agreed with Lynch's opinion about using AI as a tool, but pointed out that the use of AI would not stop there, implying that the technology would be used against workers.
AI-generated content has a reputation for being uncanny and incredibly derivative, often labelled as 'slop.'
Critics are concerned about the rise of AI leading to shoddy filmmaking, heavy job losses and copyright violation on a mass scale, as the vast majority of models have been trained on the work of artists without permission or compensation.
The Vulture piece contains hints that the adoption of generative AI is not going smoothly, as the output is incredibly difficult to control.
Animator Joel Kuwahara described his efforts to create a storyboard using generative AI as 'terrible.'
'I was trying to prompt it to move the camera up ten degrees, and it gave me a whole new house,' he said.
A filmmaker's precision is unlikely to be realized with prompts, as the 'generative' aspect of AI is imbued with unpredictability (not to mention, hallucinations).
Lyonne makes it clear that she is attempting to use the technology as an artist, describing herself as a 'filmmaker who doesn't want the tech people deciding the future of the medium.'
Lyonne's upcoming film, Uncanny Valley, is set to use the AI-based studio Asteria, which she founded alongside her boyfriend, filmmaker Bryn Mooser.
Asteria's partner, Moonvalley, will use a model called Marey, which is claimed to have been trained 'ethically,' only using data that has been licensed for AI-training.
Notably, a spokesperson for Moonvalley declined to share the details behind the training data to Vulture, claiming it was 'confidential.'
Many of the Hollywood workers quoted in the article seem to view the mass adoption of AI as an inevitability. Notably, a quote from an anonymous VFX artist reveals that the output of the machine is faster, but sloppier.
'Oh, there's quality lost,' he said. 'But that's only lost on the people who appreciate it, like fine wine.'
Few seem to view the output of generative AI as superior (or even equal) to the work of talented filmmakers, but the hope seems to be that the machine's output will be good enough to pass, unnoticed.
Google's new video-generator, Veo 3, is capable of generating lifelike video. Is it good enough to create a film, beyond a few seconds?
Are audiences actually interested in a performance delivered by non-humans? Do we want to watch content made by no one?
As the technology is refined and filmmakers experiment, it will soon become clear if Lynch's pencil analogy holds true.