Seth Rogen Says Don't Use AI to Write Scripts

I've been watching the whole AI debate unfold in Hollywood for a while now. It feels like every week there's a new tool promising to do the hard work for us. But honestly, the results usually look pretty soulless. It's just math trying to guess what a human might like.

Seth Rogen recently stepped into this fire during a chat at Cannes. He wasn't shy about his feelings on the matter. If you want to be a writer, you need to write. That's the core of his message to the industry.

It's refreshing to hear someone with his track record speak so plainly. He isn't hiding behind PR statements or vague corporate speak. He thinks the tech is mostly garbage and the people using it are missing the point of the job.

Why rogen thinks hollywood is missing the point

Rogen has been a staple in comedy for over twenty years. We all remember hits like Superbad and Pineapple Express. Those movies have a specific voice that you just can't fake with a prompt. They feel messy, human, and real.

He isn't just a guy who shows up to read lines. He's been behind the scenes as a writer and director for years. His recent work on The Studio shows he's paying attention to how the industry functions right now. He knows the pressure to cut costs is huge.

But he also knows that shortcuts lead to bad art. When you strip away the struggle of writing, you strip away the soul of the story. You get something that feels like a copy of a copy. That's exactly what he's railing against.

The real deal on writing without bots

The conversation happened while Rogen was talking about his new project, Tangles. It's an animated film about Alzheimer's that sounds deeply personal. He's working with heavy hitters like Bryan Cranston and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. He made it clear that no AI touched the script.

He told the audience that every frame has a human touch. That matters. When you watch a movie, you want to feel like a person made a choice at every step. AI doesn't make choices; it just picks probabilities.

Rogen thinks the whole trend of using AI to "fix" Hollywood is a joke. He's seen those Instagram videos claiming the industry is cooked. He calls the output from those tools "stupid dog st." It's hard to argue with that when you see the bland scripts these machines churn out.

If your instinct is to avoid the hard work, he says you shouldn't be a writer. Writing is a process. It's about failing and trying again. It's about finding the right word after an hour of staring at a blank screen. If you skip that, you aren't doing the job.

He even admitted he doesn't want a tool that makes him write less. That's the kicker. Most people want to work less. Rogen likes the act of writing. He enjoys the puzzle of putting a story together.

If you aren't in it for the process, he thinks you should go do something else. It's a harsh take, but it's honest. He's not interested in making things easier if the quality suffers.

What this means for future films

We are going to see a split in the industry. Some studios will lean into the tech to save a buck. They want cheap, fast content. It won't be good, but it will fill a slot on a streaming service.

Then you'll have the creators who double down on the human element. They will market their work as "AI-free." It will become a selling point for fans who are tired of the bland stuff. Authenticity is going to be the new premium product.

Rogen is setting a standard for his own projects. If Tangles succeeds, it proves that you don't need these tools to make something meaningful. You just need a good team and a lot of time. That's the old way, and it's still the best way.

A few answers to common questions

Did Seth Rogen say all AI is bad? No, he mostly focused on its use in creative writing. He thinks it's a poor substitute for the human struggle of crafting a story.

Is The Studio about AI? It tackles many modern Hollywood issues, but it's more about the absurdity of the studio system itself. It's a satire on the business side of making films.

What is Tangles? It's an animated film about Alzheimer's disease. It has a star-studded cast and focuses on a human-led production process.

Why does Rogen hate AI scripts? He thinks they result in bad, low-quality writing. He also believes the process of writing is what makes a creator a creator.

Will Hollywood stop using AI? Probably not. Studios want to cut costs. But creators like Rogen are pushing back to keep the focus on human talent.