James Cameron calls generative AI 'horrifying' in new interview

Hollywood director James Cameron is often cited as a pioneer in the use of cutting-edge visual effects technology, especially in the ‘Avatar’ films, where iconic blue Na’vi characters are brought to life through performance capture.

Despite his pioneering use of visual effects, James Cameron is not a fan of generative AI.

In a CBS Sunday Morning interview about the upcoming release of “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” he explained that while performance capture—where an actor’s performance is recorded and used as a template for digital artists—may seem similar to generative AI, it is actually the opposite.

“For years, there has been a perception that ‘Oh, they’re doing something strange with computers and they’re replacing actors,’” Cameron said. “In reality, when you really delve into what we’re doing, it’s a celebration of the actor-director moment.”

The CBS segment featured members of the “Avatar” cast performing underwater scenes in a 250,000-gallon water tank.

“Go to the other end of the spectrum, and you’ve got generative AI, where they can make up a character, they can make up an actor, they can make up a performance from scratch with a text prompt,” Cameron added.

“No, that’s horrifying … That’s exactly what we’re not doing.”