James Cameron Is All In On AI
Artificial intelligence is a hot-button topic, especially in creative industries, so it’s always interesting to hear how artists feel about it. Some view it as a soulless technology while others see the potential to use it as a helpful tool. Director James Cameron seems to fall into the latter camp.
He recently spoke with Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost at the Autodesk Beyond Boundaries talk about the technology, saying, “I think AI can be helpful because it can fill in some of those detail levels and allow us as artists to stay at a higher level.”
AI A Useful Tool For Artists
James Cameron broke down his thinking about using AI in the creative space, explaining how you start with a vision for a project and that, “as you go down levels of magnitude you see more and more patterns, and you realize that greater pattern, the grand pattern, is made up of all these kinds of fractal details that need to be there.”
In other words, James Cameron seems to feel that AI will allow artists to use it as a useful tool. While that may be surprising coming from the creator of the Terminator franchise, fans of Cameron are well aware of his affinity for using cutting-edge technology to make his films.
Already Pushing The Limits Of CGI
James Cameron likely wouldn’t be opposed to using AI if it allowed him to make his films bigger and more impressive.
Cameron has already pushed the limits of CGI and visual effect technology in many of his projects, most recently in the Avatar franchise.
While some people may not find the storytelling in the Avatar movies revolutionary by any means, it’s undeniable that these films are visual feasts and a spectacle that is well worth seeing on IMAX screens.
Avatar: The Way of Water
James Cameron’s most recent film, Avatar: The Way of Water, developed multiple new visual effects technologies during its production.
For instance, Weta FX had to develop new motion capture systems to film performance capture underwater.
Cameron also explained that there was money invested into new physics based simulations for liquids to make the water in Avatar: The Way of Water look as realistic as possible.
AI In Next Avatar Movies?
Needless to say, the water in the film is some of the most realistic CG water you can find on film. It seems likely that the upcoming Avatar films will also employ some new technologies to continue pushing the envelope on how realistic blue alien cat people movies can look.
Perhaps James Cameron will be using AI more often in his upcoming Avatar movies.
AI In Hollywood
James Cameron’s comments about AI aren’t necessarily controversial by any means, but the conversation about using the technology in Hollywood has become increasingly heated over the past year.
The use of artificial intelligence was a major sticking point in the WGA and SAG-AFTRA negotiations with the AMPTP last summer. Major companies have also been called out for using the technology, like when Disney and Marvel Studios made the Secret Invasion opening using AI.
James Cameron And SkyNet
In any case, the debate about artificial intelligence likely won’t be slowing down anytime soon. Even if James Cameron, who showed how terrifying AI can be with SkyNet, agrees with using it, not everyone else will.
It will be interesting to see how this debate continues to shake out as artificial intelligence only becomes more advanced and easily accessible.
Source: Creative Bloq
