James Cameron Slams AI for Creating Fake Actors: “That’s Horrifying to Me”
James Cameron is sounding the alarm about the rise of AI-created performers. During an interview on CBS’ Sunday Morning, the filmmaker talked about the growing use of generative AI in entertainment and said the idea of replacing human actors with digital creations is something he wants no part of.
Cameron said that long before generative AI became mainstream, some people in Hollywood believed he was trying to remove actors from the process while developing the first Avatar movie. He explained that these assumptions were completely wrong.
He said the work he was doing at the time was meant to support actors, not erase them. As he put it, “For years, there was this sense that, ‘Oh, they’re doing something strange with computers and they’re replacing actors,’ when in fact… it’s a celebration of the actor-director moment.”
But Cameron said what is happening today with AI is very different. He said he is troubled by tools that can create characters and performances without a real person behind them. He said, “They can make up a character. They can make up an actor. They can make up a performance from scratch with a text prompt… That’s horrifying to me.”
His comments follow a recent moment that stirred debate in the industry. At the Zurich Summit in September, producer and comedian Eline Van der Velden introduced an AI-generated performer named Tilly Norwood. She said several talent agencies had already shown interest in the virtual actor, which led to immediate backlash from people in the business.
Van der Velden later spoke with Variety and said she expects AI to slowly become a normal part of filmmaking. She said, “There’ll be plenty of effects that will be made with AI… and then slowly, we’ll progress to a full AI film.” She also said audience reactions will depend on the quality of the story, not on whether the actors are real or digital.
The discussion around AI performers is growing fast, and Cameron’s strong reaction shows how divided filmmakers are on this issue.
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