Zack Snyder Draws the Line on AI Actors and AI-Generated Film Shots
Zack Snyder explains why AI should never replace real actors or human creativity in films, despite supporting its use for visual effects.
Justice League director Zack Snyder has revealed the rules he believes filmmakers should follow when using artificial intelligence, arguing that real actors and human creative decisions must remain central to filmmaking.
Speaking during interviews surrounding his film The Last Photograph, Snyder explained that he is not opposed to using AI as a technical tool but believes the creative decisions behind films must remain with human filmmakers.
Zack Snyder Draws a Line at AI-Generated Actors
Snyder discussed the subject during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, recorded at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2026.
“AI should make no shots. Humans should make shots,” he said, arguing that both the performers and the people responsible for constructing scenes should remain human.
The director expressed particular concern about films featuring completely artificial performers presented as substitutes for real actors.
Although he has directed visually ambitious productions including 300, Man of Steel and Rebel Moon, Snyder believes there is an important distinction between digitally enhancing a performance and creating a performer who does not exist.
He also admitted that he has ChatGPT on his phone, demonstrating that his concerns are not based on rejecting artificial intelligence altogether.
Why Snyder Accepts Some AI Visual Effects
Snyder acknowledged that the distinction between traditional computer-generated imagery and AI-assisted visual effects is becoming increasingly difficult to identify.
During a separate interview, he gave a practical example involving the removal of a plant from the background of a filmed scene.
Using AI to remove an unwanted object would not necessarily concern him, provided the original actors, camera framing and creative decisions remained intact.
However, allowing AI to generate an entire shot would cross the boundary he wants filmmakers to maintain. His position focuses on who makes the artistic decisions rather than whether computers have been involved in completing the final image.
The Last Photograph Shows Snyder’s Preferred Approach
Snyder’s film The Last Photograph premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 13 September 2026.
The independent drama stars Stuart Martin and Fra Fee and follows a former DEA agent seeking revenge in the South American jungle, where dangerous terrain and personal struggles complicate his journey.
Snyder also served as cinematographer, taking direct responsibility for the film’s visual presentation. He described the production as particularly distant from AI-generated filmmaking, emphasising its physical environments and human performances.
The project marks a departure from the large-scale superhero and science-fiction productions for which he is best known, allowing him to pursue a smaller, more personal story.
