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The growing debate on the use of artificial intelligence in filmmaking continues to divide the filmmaking industry, and following the backlash against Martin Scorsese’s endorsement of an AI firm for the purposes of storyboarding, George Lucas has said that the technology will be an inevitable part of the future of cinema.
In an interview with A Rabbit’s Foot, the Star Wars creator was asked about the place of AI in filmmaking.
There are those who consider AI to be an existential threat to the art of filmmaking, with actors and directors speaking out on how AI has been trained on art made by humans without their consent.
Lucas brushed these concerns aside and said: “Artificial intelligence means it’s much easier for us to make movies. It’s very much like sitting here saying, ‘Well, I believe the horse and the buggy is really where it’s at. These cars, they break down, they need gas, there’s all kinds of problems with them and pretty soon they’ll be making them into tanks, and then they’ll be killing people. It’s terrible.’ There’s nothing you can do about it. That’s progress, it’s the future.”
He added: “If you want AI that tells you when something is fake and where it came from, AI can do that. Humans can’t, we’re not that smart. The whole idea is you’re a human being, you’re responsible for what you say and what you do, and if you’re doing something that’s illegal you should be punished for that. Whatever you do, you should be recognised. It’s just like real life.”
Many have called out Lucas’ comments. Check out the reactions below:
Thankfully, there are high-profile creatives who are speaking out and defending the sanctity of human creation.
Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan recently shared his thoughts on AI and the future of cinema, saying that he is confident that younger generations will continue to reject “AI slop” and maintain a healthy appreciation for practical effects.
Nolan said he has noticed a “rapid wholesale dismissal of a supposedly foundational jump in technology” among younger filmmakers, adding that his four children have an “immediate and harsh” reaction to AI.
“Their judgment of AI slop has been immediate and harsh. They see it for what it is very quickly – and it’s much easier for them to identify it, because it grew out of an online world they know really well. And while that doesn’t mean that every aspect of the technology is useless or meaningless, in filmmaking it’s hitting at exactly the wrong time.”
He argued that “after years of driving towards heavily virtual environments, we’re seeing a renewed interest in more tactile, more real forms of storytelling.”