Gore Verbinski Proposes AI Film Ratings, With an F for AI-Written Scripts

3 articles · Updated · Variety · Jun 13

At the Taormina Film Festival, Gore Verbinski said films may need an AI-use rating system, arguing scripts written by AI should effectively get an “F.”
Verbinski said the key problem is transparency, because AI has already been embedded in tools like color grading and image sharpening for roughly 20 years, making a simple yes-or-no disclosure increasingly impractical.
He drew a line between AI replacing storytelling and AI helping cash-strapped filmmakers realize specific scenes, saying limited use can be acceptable if filmmakers clearly disclose what the technology did.
A bigger long-term risk, he said, is the loss of entry-level jobs and apprenticeships as AI absorbs assistant-style work, potentially reshaping how young filmmakers learn and enter the industry.
The director, whose independently financed sci-fi film opened in U.S. theaters in February, said it is still a stingy market for original projects even as audiences continue to show up for distinctive theatrical experiences.