Just weeks after becoming Hollywood’s newest success story, Backrooms director Kane Parsons is making it clear that he doesn’t believe artificial intelligence should be leading the future of filmmaking. The 20-year-old filmmaker, whose horror phenomenon Backrooms recently shattered expectations at the global box office, has publicly criticized the growing use of generative AI in creative industries, arguing that it removes the very thing that makes art meaningful. Parsons is hardly an industry veteran. In fact, that’s what makes his comments so interesting.
At an age when many young creators are embracing AI tools, Parsons is taking the opposite stance. Speaking about the technology, he said that if he could make generative AI disappear entirely, he would. For him, the creative process is the reward. Removing the struggle, experimentation and craftsmanship defeats the purpose.
His comments arrive at a time when Hollywood is becoming increasingly divided over AI. Some filmmakers see it as a tool that can reduce costs and speed up production. Others worry it could replace artists, visual effects teams, writers and designers who have spent years mastering their craft.
Parsons acknowledges that AI may eventually help simplify certain technical processes, particularly in visual effects. However, he remains skeptical about where that road leads. His concern is not simply about efficiency. It’s about what happens when efficiency becomes more important than creativity.
The irony is that Parsons himself represents the future Hollywood has been searching for.
Before directing a major theatrical release, he was a teenager creating visual effects videos on YouTube under the name Kane Pixels. His original Backroom’s found-footage short exploded online in 2022, eventually evolving into a viral horror universe that attracted the attention of A24 and producer James Wan. That passion project has now become one of the biggest box office stories of 2026.
Backrooms debuted with approximately $81.5 million domestically and $118 million worldwide, delivering the largest opening weekend in A24’s history. The success also made Parsons the youngest filmmaker ever to open a movie at number one in North America.What makes his story remarkable is that it wasn’t built by algorithms or studio formulas. It came from years of self-taught visual effects work, experimentation and internet storytelling.
In many ways, Parsons’ success serves as an argument against the idea that creativity needs to be automated. A teenager with a computer, an original idea and a deep understanding of online culture created one of the year’s biggest films. No artificial intelligence required.
As Hollywood continues debating AI’s role in entertainment, Kane Parsons has already chosen a side. And considering he just delivered one of the biggest original horror hits of the decade, the industry may want to listen.