Why Christopher Nolan Calls AI a 'Trojan Horse'

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan has referred to artificial intelligence (AI) as a "Trojan horse" whose threat has been recognized by many. He believes that the high level of public skepticism towards AI, especially among young people, is a positive response to the rapid development of the technology.

Nolan made the statement in an interview with content creator Hugo Travers, also known as HugoDcrypte on YouTube. Travers drew a parallel between AI and the Trojan horse, an essential element in Nolan's latest film, The Odyssey. He questioned whether AI could be something initially accepted in daily life, but then transform into something darker.

"I think AI is a Trojan horse that everybody knows the Greeks are inside," Nolan responded to this, as quoted from the Tech Crunch report on July 19, 2026. He then added that the technology is a "a transparent horse, it’s made of glass.”

Nolan noted that there has never been a technology that has developed so rapidly, yet simultaneously faced significant rejection from society.

“Everybody’s suspicion of it is so extreme, particularly young people. The reaction to AI videos online and people my children’s age immediately calling it ‘AI slop’ and coining that term and just putting it in a box he stated.

According to Nolan, society's critical stance towards AI is essential to prevent the technology from being accepted unquestioningly without considering its impact or the interests of those developing it.

"This is a very healthy skepticism, because technology is always going to give us great gifts, as you say, but it has to be viewed with skepticism," he expressed.

He continued, “The motives of the people giving it to us also have to be viewed with skepticism. That’s when we’ll get the best out of a new technology, rather than just blind faith that everything’s going to be great.”

However, Nolan did not specifically elaborate on the threat of AI that he referred to. Concerns about AI have become a major issue in the Hollywood industry, including during the writer and actor strike in 2023. The Directors Guild of America (DGA), led by Nolan as president, also obtained certain protections regarding the use of generative AI in its latest work contracts.

Nolan is known for being cautious about adopting new technology. He continues to choose to use celluloid film in the production process and made The Odyssey the first feature film in which all image capture processes were done using film and IMAX cameras.

In a separate interview with The New York Times, Nolan rejected being labeled as a technophobe. "I think of myself as a techno-skeptic," he said. He explained that he embraces technological advancements, but believes that new technology often is promoted at the expense of older systems that are still relevant.

“I embrace new technology all the time, but it tends to be sold to people at the expense of systems that might still be valid and viable,” Nolan said. “That’s what I saw in my industry — throwing the baby out with the bath water. We almost lost film!”

Read: Should You Watch Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey in IMAX?

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