James Cameron, the acclaimed director behind the "Avatar" franchise and a prominent Hollywood filmmaker, has once again issued a strong warning regarding the rapid spread of generative AI in the film and television industry.
In an interview with "CBS News," Cameron stated bluntly that if AI could "generate actors and performances based on text prompts," he would find it "terrifying," emphasizing that this runs counter to the core spirit of filmmaking. Cameron noted that "Avatar" has always been built on motion capture and actor performances, not on technology replacing humans.
"For years, people assumed we were using computers to replace actors, but a closer look reveals that 'Avatar' is a celebration of the collaborative moment between actors and directors," he stressed. He emphasized that this is the very soul of cinema and cannot be replaced by machine generation.
Witnessing generative AI's ability to create characters, actors, and even entire performances from text alone, his tone became noticeably serious: "They can 'generate a performance' from scratch, and I just want to say: No, that's terrifying. That's the complete opposite direction; that's not what we do."
Cameron's comments come at a time when the AI debate in Hollywood is rapidly escalating. Recently, the Zurich Film Festival featured an AI-generated "virtual actress" named Tilly Norwood, sparking discontent from SAG-AFTRA. The actors' union has consistently warned that unregulated AI could replace actors' livelihoods and infringe upon performance rights.
Earlier this year, Cameron also warned about the threat AI poses to weapons systems and global security. In an interview with "IGN," he explicitly stated that he would never allow AI to write a script: "Good screenwriters bring their own worldview and life experiences. That's why screenwriters, directors, and actors exist, and it's not something AI can imitate."
While rejecting AI's replacement of creative work, Cameron did acknowledge generative AI's potential in certain areas, particularly regarding visual effects costs. He pointed out that "Avatar" did not use generative AI at all, but if AI could effectively reduce VFX expenses, it would help more high-budget films get made.
However, he firmly drew a line: "I will never use AI to replace the true act of creation—writing scripts, creating characters, bringing characters to life with actors, and then collaborating with artists to build worlds. These parts can never be changed."
via： CBS News