Kore-eda warns AI productivity tools stifle creativity in new sci-fi drama
In an interview with The Verge, Hirokazu Kore-eda reveals that while AI can simulate grief, its growing dominance in film production risks undermining the human element of storytelling.
Acclaimed Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda has turned his attention to the intersection of artificial intelligence and human emotion in his latest sci-fi drama, 'Sheep in the Box'. The film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, depicts a family utilising a humanoid robot to recreate their deceased son as a means of processing grief. In a recent interview with The Verge, Kore-eda discussed the film’s development, his consultations with robotics experts, and his growing concern regarding the film industry’s reliance on AI and visual effects for productivity.
The narrative draws inspiration from real-world initiatives in Japan, Korea, and China where AI is increasingly used to recreate the voices or images of deceased individuals. Kore-eda noted that the concept was further informed by a conversation with a robotics expert who highlighted significant technical barriers to creating humanoid robots, particularly heat dissipation issues. The expert suggested that human clones may be developed sooner than humanoid robots, a prospect Kore-eda described as more unsettling than the technology depicted in his film.
Kore-eda also shared details about his creative process, including his use of ChatGPT to review the script. He reported receiving generic praise from the AI, which predicted the film would enter the Cannes competition—a prediction that proved accurate. However, Kore-eda found the feedback unhelpful due to its lack of "humanness," noting that any person could have offered similar encouragement. He expressed skepticism about the utility of such tools, stating that he does not find AI particularly useful in his daily workflow beyond translation services.
The director voiced strong concerns that the industry’s shift toward AI and VFX for productivity is detrimental to creativity. He cited the decision to shoot driving scenes in a studio with composited backgrounds rather than on location as an example of this trend. Kore-eda argued that offloading imaginative tasks to computers is the antithesis of creativity, warning that stunt work and practical effects may eventually be subsumed by digital alternatives.
'Sheep in the Box' features a distinct visual palette, with costume designer Sachiko Ito utilising earth tones for human characters and blue hues for AI elements. This design choice was partly influenced by predictions of a hotter climate in the near future. The film is scheduled for release in select US theatres on July 24, 2026.
