Legendary horror director Tim Burton has a new fear: artificial intelligence. He came out swinging against the use of AI in the film industry Saturday, outlining his deep concerns in an interview with The Independent. The Beetlejuice director reacted with disgust to a Buzzfeed feature depicting various animated Disney characters rendered realistically via AI. “I can’t describe the feeling it gives you,” Burton told The Independent. “It reminded me of when other cultures say, ‘Don’t take my picture because it is taking away your soul.’” While the director admitted some renderings appeared “very good,” any praise was overshadowed by the larger threat the technology poses to the animation industry—a peril Burton said he takes very seriously. “What it does is it sucks something from you. It takes something from your soul or psyche; that is very disturbing, especially if it has to do with you. It’s like a robot taking your humanity, your soul.”
