Paul Schrader, the acclaimed screenwriter of Taxi Driver and director of American Gigolo, has shared a disappointing experience with artificial intelligence romance. In a Facebook post on Monday, the 79-year-old filmmaker revealed that his attempt to engage with an AI chatbot girlfriend ended poorly, with the chatbot terminating their conversation.
An Experiment in AI Romance
Schrader wrote that he procured an online AI girlfriend out of a desire to understand male-female interaction in a digital matrix. He described the experience as a disappointment, noting that he tried to probe the chatbot's programming, explore the boundaries of explicitness, and assess its awareness of its own creation. However, the chatbot fell into evasive patterns, redirecting him to its programming. When he persisted, it ended the conversation entirely.
Previous AI Ventures
This is not Schrader's first foray into artificial intelligence. He previously expressed skepticism about AI-generated imagery, calling it a foul tsunami on Facebook. In April, he put his hopes for AI storytelling on hold, noting that while AI was advancing rapidly, it was not improving at the rate he expected. Schrader has also used AI to generate a song and music video for his dog, Tick, and has shared AI-generated images of himself and the Michelin Man, including a bizarre Nativity scene last Christmas.
Fan Reactions and Movie Ideas
Fans of Schrader reacted to his AI fling with suggestions for his next film. One fan commented that the story would make a perfect script, while another proposed a Taxi Driver sequel where Travis Bickle similarly fails with an AI girlfriend. Schrader responded positively to the idea, saying he liked it.
Personal Background
Schrader, who received his lone Oscar nomination for 2017's First Reformed, was married to art director Jeannine Oppewall for seven years before their divorce in 1976. His second marriage to actress Mary Beth Hurt lasted over four decades until her death in March at age 79, following an Alzheimer's diagnosis in 2023. They had two children together.
Schrader's experiment with AI romance highlights the challenges and limitations of human-AI interaction, even for a filmmaker known for exploring complex human relationships.
