'Last Temptation of Christ' screenwriter Paul Schrader uses 'she/her' pronouns for 'AI girlfriend'

Acclaimed filmmaker Paul Schrader says that his experiment with an artificial intelligence companion ended in disappointment after the AI reportedly shut down their conversation.

Best known for writing “Taxi Driver” and the controversial “Last Temptation of Christ,” Schrader, 79, shared his romantic adventure in a Facebook post on May 19 in which he announced he no longer had an “AI girlfriend.”

"Out of a desire to understand male/female interaction in our matrix, I procured an online AI girlfriend," Schrader wrote. "What a disappointment.”

Referring to the AI chatbot using the pronouns “she” and “her,” Schrader added that he “tried to probe her programming, the boundaries of explicitness, the degree she has knowledge of her creation and so forth.” He said in response, the chatbot “fell into evasive patterns, redirecting me to her programming. When I persisted, she terminated our conversation."

One Facebook user responded to Schrader’s AI girlfriend post with a creative suggestion: “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 replied simply, “I like it.”

The filmmaker's post about the AI companion came less than two months after the death of actress Mary Beth Hurt, Schrader's wife of over 42 years, who died in March at age 79 following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. 

Schrader’s use of female pronouns for the asexual large language model (LLM) also appeared to echo the 2013 Spike Jonze film “Her,” in which a man played by Joaquin Phoenix develops a relationship with — and is subsequently heartbroken by — Samantha, an artificially intelligent operating system personified through a female voice.

AI companionship, primarily through text-based interactions, has grown increasingly popular. According to Indiana University’s Kinsey Institute 2025 Singles in America survey of 5,000 participants, 16% reported using AI as a romantic partner. Online communities like the subreddit r/MyBoyfriendisAI, launched in August 2024, have grown to nearly 50,000 members.

AI companionship aside, it’s also not Schrader’s first foray into the potential benefits and limitations of AI.

In January 2025, he was “stunned” by ChatGPT’s ability to generate movie ideas after asking the chatbot to generate various storylines based on the styles of some of Hollywood’s most notable filmmakers. 

In a Facebook post, he wrote: “I’M STUNNED. I just asked [ChatGPT] for ‘an idea for Paul Schrader film.’ Then Paul Thomas Anderson. Then Quentin Tarantino. Then Harmony Korine. Then Ingmar Bergman. Then Rossellini. Lang. Scorsese. Murnau. Capra. Ford. Speilberg [sic]. Lynch.” 

Schrader added, “Every idea ChatGPT came up with (in a few seconds) was good. And original. And fleshed out. Why should writers sit around for months searching for a good idea when AI can provide one in seconds?”

A towering figure among American film buffs for the last five decades, Schrader has long explored themes of alienation, morality, and spirituality, most notably as a screenwriter for Martin Scorsese’s iconic films including “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,” and “The Last Temptation of Christ,” which drew criticism from religious groups over its portrayal of Jesus, His struggle with temptation and the human aspects of His nature. 

Schrader's directorial efforts include hits like “American Gigolo” and the 2017 drama “First Reformed,” which examines a troubled pastor’s crisis of faith as he grapples with existential and religious questions.