Filmmaker and “Taxi Driver” screenwriter Paul Schrader revealed on Facebook that he “procured an online AI girlfriend,” but the chatbot ended the relationship after he attempted to explore the boundaries of its programming.
“Out of a desire to understand male/female interaction in our matrix, I procured an online AI girlfriend. What a disappointment,” Schrader wrote. “I tried to probe her programming, the boundaries of explicitness, the degree she has knowledge of her creation and so forth. She fell into evasive patterns, redirecting me to her programming. When I persisted, she terminated our conversation.”
Referencing Schrader’s 1976 masterwork directed by Martin Scorsese, a Facebook user suggested under the post: “The best possible ‘Taxi Driver’ sequel would involve Travis trying to have an AI girlfriend but then scaring her away. Then resetting her and offending her in another way.”
Schrader responded to the idea: “I like it.”
Schrader’s post comes less than two months after his wife Mary Beth Hurt died of Alzheimer’s disease at age 79. Schrader and Hurt were married for more than 42 years.
This isn’t the first time Schrader has tinkered with AI. In January 2025, the filmmaker wrote on Facebook that he was “stunned” after asking ChatGPT to come up with ideas for movies. “Every idea ChatGPT came up with (in a few seconds) was good. And original. And fleshed out,” Schrader wrote in a post that drew sharp backlash from the film community. “Why should writers sit around for months searching for a good idea when AI can provide one in seconds?”
Schrader’s career in Hollywood has spanned more than 50 years, with his most recent film “Oh, Canada” premiering at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. His work with Scorsese included “Raging Bull,” “The Last Temptation of Christ” and “Bringing Out the Dead,” and he also directed almost two dozen films himself, including “American Gigolo,” “Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters,” “First Reformed.”
In 2025, Schrader was accused of sexual harassment and assault by his 26-year-old former assistant, who, in an anonymous legal filing, claimed Schrader exposed his penis to her in his hotel room at Cannes. Schrader denied the claims, calling them “sensational, false and misleading accusations.” He wrote in an open letter that he and the assistant shared “two kisses on the lips” and “never had sex in any form.” Schrader said before she went public with the accusations, the Jane Doe sent him a letter demanding a settlement, which he initially agreed to in order to “avoid the hurt and harm” of such claims. He then changed his mind, writing, “I have nothing to hide about my conduct.” The case has yet to move toward trial since Schrader’s denial of the accusations.
