During a recent appearance on Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson’s IMO podcast, Steven Spielberg said he opposes AI in film production. The legendary director said he believes AI can help “find solutions to medical problems” but doesn’t want it to take over Hollywood’s creative process.
“What I don’t like about AI is that it takes over or there’s an empty chair at the writer’s table,” Spielberg said. “I don’t really believe in perception, so I’m not going to replace it. I don’t think there’s a replacement for the soul. I don’t think it’s an algorithm that can be invented… Any computer that thinks it feels more than we feel is anathema to my upbringing and how I will practice my producing and directing profession in the future.”
The “Jaws” director said he sees a future where AI will perform tasks such as location scouting and “save a lot of work,” but he never wants AI to teach him or anyone on his team how to make a movie.
“Don’t tell me how to write this character’s dialogue. Don’t tell me where to point the camera. And don’t tell me what the set should look like, unless AI is just a tool in the production designer’s larger toolbox,” he added. “Use AI as a tool, but don’t use AI as the final word on anything creative. That’s where I draw the line.”
Spielberg is not the first major Hollywood figure to speak out against the use of AI in movies. Leonardo DiCaprio told Time magazine in December that anything produced by artificial intelligence cannot be considered “real” art because AI cannot have humanity.
“I think anything that can truly be considered art has to be created by humans,” he says. “Otherwise, haven’t you heard these songs? These songs are really great mashups, and you think, ‘Oh my god, this is Michael Jackson doing The Weeknd,’ or, ‘This is the funk of the A Tribe Called Quest song ‘Bonita Applebum,’ done in a voice that sounds like an Al Green soul song, which is great.” ” And you think, “Cool.” But then it becomes famous for the next 15 minutes and disappears among other internet junk. There is no anchor there. It’s wonderful, but there’s no humanity in it. ”
