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Widowed Filmmaker Paul Schrader's AI Girlfriend Ends Chat, Denies Harassment

5/20/2026

39 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Schrader AI Split

Filmmaker Paul Schrader said his online AI girlfriend ended their chat on May 18.
He said he probed the AI’s programming and self-knowledge, receiving evasive answers.
His wife Mary Beth Hurt died of Alzheimer’s disease in March after 42 years of marriage.
He told Vanity Fair in October 2025 he is developing an all-AI script.
Schrader denied a 2025 sexual-harassment allegation, noting the case has not yet gone to trial.

Summary

Schrader Backs AI

Paul Schrader replied “I like it” to a comment proposing a Taxi Driver sequel where Travis Bickle dates an AI girlfriend, sparking debate about blending his style with AI themes.
Commenters likened the premise to the 2013 film Her.
Schrader directed First Reformed (2017), The Card Counter (2021), Master Gardener (2022) and Oh Canada (2024), earning a 2019 Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay for First Reformed.

History

Historical Context

In 2013 Spike Jonze released *Her*, a Warner Bros. sci-fi romance where Joaquin Phoenix falls for an AI voice, earning $47 million worldwide and winning the 2014 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The film sparked academic debate on human-AI relationships, a discourse Paul Schrader now cites while drafting an all-AI screenplay, showing Jonze’s lasting influence on contemporary screenwriting and emerging industry guidelines.

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Schrader AI Split

Filmmaker Paul Schrader said his online AI girlfriend ended their chat on May 18.
He said he probed the AI’s programming and self-knowledge, receiving evasive answers.
His wife Mary Beth Hurt died of Alzheimer’s disease in March after 42 years of marriage.
He told Vanity Fair in October 2025 he is developing an all-AI script.
Schrader denied a 2025 sexual-harassment allegation, noting the case has not yet gone to trial.

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