James Cameron Speaks On Warning Everyone About AI In The Terminator
James Cameron agrees with AI experts about the threat the technology poses to humanity. The filmmaker discussed his concerns about artificial intelligence during the launch of a Canadian Geographic exhibit about his deep-sea exploration endeavors. “I absolutely share their concern,” he told CTV News. “I warned you guys in 1984, and you didn’t listen,” he said, referencing The Terminator.
“I absolutely share their concern. I warned you guys in 1984, and you didn’t listen.”
James Cameron
Directed by James Cameron, part of The Terminator is set in a dystopian future where machines controlled by an AI called Skynet have taken over the world. In an attempt to prevent the human resistance from winning the war, Skynet sends a cyborg assassin, known as a Terminator, back in time to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, the mother of John Connor, the leader of the resistance against the machines.
However, the human resistance manages to send a soldier named Kyle Reese back in time as well, tasked with protecting Sarah from the Terminator. The plot revolves around a cat-and-mouse chase between the relentless and emotionless Terminator (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Reese as they try to locate Sarah.
The Terminator was a critical and commercial success, launching the careers of its director James Cameron and its lead actor Arnold Schwarzenegger – who are both concerned about AI. The movie is widely regarded as a classic of the science-fiction genre and is known for its groundbreaking visual effects, thrilling action sequences, and engaging storyline.
“I think the weaponization of AI is the biggest danger. I think that we will get into the equivalent of a nuclear arms race with AI, and if we don’t build it, the other guys are for sure going to build it, and so then it’ll escalate. You could imagine an AI in a combat theatre, the whole thing just being fought by the computers at a speed humans can no longer intercede, and you have no ability to de-escalate.”
James Cameron
Decades after the James Cameron movie hit screens, AI has become a somewhat regular part of everyday life. Experts have issued warnings about the need to regulate the rapidly advancing technology, and the filmmaker agrees, saying it’s important to keep track of who is developing AI and the reasons behind it.
James Cameron elaborated, saying, “I think the weaponization of AI is the biggest danger. I think that we will get into the equivalent of a nuclear arms race with AI, and if we don’t build it, the other guys are for sure going to build it, and so then it’ll escalate. You could imagine an AI in a combat theatre, the whole thing just being fought by the computers at a speed humans can no longer intercede, and you have no ability to de-escalate.”
AI and the Hollywood Strikes
The ongoing strikes among writers and actors have brought attention to the controversial issue of regulating the use of AI in the entertainment industry. More than 160,000 members of the SAG-AFTRA union have joined the picket lines in solidarity with over 11,000 striking members of the Writers Guild of America.
However, James Cameron doesn’t think AI will replace human writers any time soon. “I just don’t personally believe that a disembodied mind that’s just regurgitating what other embodied minds have said about the life that they’ve had, about love, about lying, about fear, about mortality and just put it all together into a word salad and then regurgitate it… I don’t believe that [they] have something that’s going to move an audience,” he explained.
James Cameron also said that he has no interest in AI writing his scripts. When asked about the possibility of accepting an AI-produced script, he suggested waiting for about 20 years. If an AI were to win an Oscar for Best Screenplay within that timeframe, he believes it would be a clear sign that the industry should seriously consider the potential of AI-generated scripts.
Arnold Schwarzenegger recently praised James Cameron for predicting the future of AI in the Terminator films. “Today, everyone is frightened of where this is gonna go,” the actor said during An Evening with Arnold Schwarzenegger in June. “And in this movie, in Terminator, we talk about the machines becoming self-aware, and they take over.”
“I just don’t personally believe that a disembodied mind that’s just regurgitating what other embodied minds have said about the life that they’ve had, about love, about lying, about fear, about mortality and just put it all together into a word salad and then regurgitate it… I don’t believe that [they] have something that’s going to move an audience.”
James Cameron
Meanwhile, the success of The Terminator led to a series of sequels and spin-offs, including Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), Terminator Salvation (2009), and Terminator Genisys (2015), among others. Arnold Schwarzenegger reprised his role as the Terminator in several of these films.
With the rise in artificial intelligence in 2023, it would be interesting to see how James Cameron would tackle a new story about the consequences of AI.
