German Director Werner Herzog Savages 'Talentless' Filmmakers Using AI: 'Let AI Replace All the Idiots'

German filmmaker Werner Herzog has delivered a blistering assessment of artificial intelligence in cinema, saying he would welcome AI replacing filmmakers whose work amounts to little more than repetitive imitation.

The acclaimed director argued that while the technology has remarkable uses, particularly in science, it cannot replicate the originality and human quality he believes meaningful filmmaking requires.

Werner Herzog Says AI Can 'Replace All the Idiots'

Herzog made the remarks while discussing the growing use of generative AI in filmmaking and its ability to reproduce existing creative styles.

'It's so standardised that AI can step in because there's not real storytelling,' Herzog said, describing such filmmaking as 'mimicry of something that has happened before.'

He then offered an even sharper assessment of filmmakers who repeatedly recycle existing ideas.

'And I welcome AI to replace all the idiots who are into nothing but repeating, repeating, repeating until it's ad nauseam,' Herzog said. 'When it's ad nauseam, please, please, please let AI step in and do the job.'

His comments distinguish between the technology itself and the way filmmakers use it. Herzog has previously acknowledged AI's potential outside the creative industries, while remaining deeply sceptical about its ability to produce compelling art.

Why Werner Herzog Blasted AI Film About a Hero

Herzog's latest criticism came during a discussion of About a Hero, director Piotr Winiewicz's experimental film built around artificial intelligence and Herzog's work.

The film uses a screenplay written by an AI system trained on Herzog's body of work. Its fictional story follows the mysterious death of a factory worker, with an AI-generated version of Herzog serving as part of the narrative. The project also incorporates interviews with artists, philosophers and scientists examining originality and authenticity in the age of AI.

Herzog said he was sceptical of the concept from the beginning.

'The intention of this young filmmaker was never to remake any [of my films], but making something in the spirit. And I immediately said, "You will fail. It is such a stupid idea,"' he said. 'It's phenomenally, abysmally stupid. I will not take part in it.'

Winiewicz has previously said Herzog gave the project his blessing despite his scepticism, but was not involved in making it.

Werner Herzog Says AI-Generated Films Have 'No Soul'

The German director has voiced similar concerns about artificial intelligence before.

During a 2025 appearance on Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, Herzog acknowledged AI's 'glorious, magnificent possibilities,' including its applications in science. However, he also warned about its growing role in warfare and criticised its use in creative work.

Herzog said he had watched short films created entirely with artificial intelligence, including their stories and performances.

'They look completely dead. They are stories, but they have no soul,' he said, describing the productions as 'empty and soulless.'

He argued that AI-generated works tend to reflect the most common material found across vast quantities of information online rather than moving beyond those established patterns.

Herzog Previously Challenged AI To Match His Films

Herzog's scepticism is also central to About a Hero, which opens with his provocative declaration: 'A computer will not make a film as good as mine in 4,500 years.'

The 84-minute film, which premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in 2024, effectively uses that challenge as a starting point for exploring whether artificial intelligence can reproduce a distinctive human artistic voice.

Herzog's latest remarks suggest his position remains unchanged: AI may be capable of reproducing established patterns, but he draws a clear distinction between technological mimicry and original storytelling.