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Kore-eda Hirokazu Rejects Generative AI for Film Screenplay Development

According to Variety·11/1/2026

Summary

  • Renowned filmmaker Kore-eda Hirokazu discarded generative artificial intelligence notes while working on his screenplay for Sheep in the Box.
  • According to Variety, the director decided to drop the technology during an appearance at the Singapore International Film Festival in 2026.
  • Kore-eda concluded that feedback from a system lacking a personal history with cinema ultimately proved unhelpful to his creative vision.
  • The acclaimed auteur chose to firmly stand on the human side of artistic creation rather than relying on algorithmic suggestions.

Acclaimed filmmaker Kore-eda Hirokazu has taken a definitive stance on the boundary between human creativity and artificial intelligence within the film industry. According to Variety, the celebrated director revealed that he discarded generative AI notes during the scriptwriting process for his upcoming project, "Sheep in the Box." Speaking at the Singapore International Film Festival, Kore-eda explained his decision to abandon the technology, emphasizing that feedback generated by an entity without a personal history with cinema fundamentally lacks the depth and perspective required for meaningful artistic collaboration. The move highlights a growing conversation among traditional auteurs regarding the role of automation in creative fields. While various sectors of the entertainment industry have rushed to experiment with machine learning tools for tasks ranging from script coverage to storyboard generation, Kore-eda's choice demonstrates a conscious resistance to this trend. By choosing to discard the AI-generated feedback, the filmmaker underscored the irreplaceable value of human experience, emotional resonance, and lived history in the craft of storytelling. The director noted that a machine cannot truly understand the nuances of cinematic tradition or the subtle interplay of memory and emotion that informs a great screenplay. Instead, such tools offer sterile observations that fail to grasp the soul of a narrative. This philosophical stance places Kore-eda firmly on the human side of a deeply polarized artistic landscape. As the film industry continues to grapple with the rapid advancement of generative technologies, high-profile rejections like this one serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of human authorship. For Kore-eda, the creation of "Sheep in the Box" remains a deeply personal endeavor that requires the genuine empathy and shared cultural context that only a human writer can bring to the page. The decision has resonated widely throughout the international film community, prompting fellow creators to reevaluate their own reliance on automated assistance in the writer's room. Ultimately, Kore-eda's rejection of artificial intelligence notes is not merely a technical choice, but a reaffirmation of the sacred bond between the creator, the medium, and the audience. As cinematic technology evolves, his resolute commitment to purely human-driven storytelling sets a compelling precedent for future generations of filmmakers who wish to keep their art grounded in authentic human experience.