Jon M. Chu criticizes Silicon Valley over AI’s ‘original sin’

Director Jon M. Chu voiced strong concerns about the unchecked rise of generative artificial intelligence during a panel at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Sunday, criticizing both Silicon Valley and the entertainment industry for their roles in what he called an “original sin.”

Reflecting on his tech-savvy upbringing and Hollywood career, the “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Wicked” director condemned AI developers for training their systems on copyrighted creative works without permission. “They took all the scripts, they took all the movies,” Chu said. “It feels like they’re saying, ‘We’re past it, move on,'” he said, adding that he could “never forgive that.”

While acknowledging the risks posed by generative AI, Chu said he remains optimistic that technology will not supplant human creativity or the personal and cultural values that define art. He emphasized that it is ultimately people, and not machines, who determine what holds artistic worth.