George Lucas Says the Use of AI in Movies Is ‘Inevitable’

George Lucas is known for many things in his career, most notably the creation of the iconic Star Wars franchise, so when he talks people tend to listen. Now, the pioneering director has weighed in on the use of AI in movies, saying “it’s inevitable,” while many in the industry are putting their efforts into halting its rise. The Star Wars franchise has long been lauded for its use of special effects techniques, many of which were created specifically for the original 1977 film, and had a lasting effect on how movies are made.

In an interview with French outlet Brut FR during the Cannes Film Festival (via IGN), Lucas was asked how he feels about the use of AI in movies today, and he took the time to reflect on how his company, Industrial Light and Magic, have been using CGI and digital effects for years. While he says it’s not quite the same as AI, it is something ILM pioneered. Check out his comments below.

“Well, we’ve been using it for 25 years, and it’s not AI, but
we use all the digital technology because we pioneered a lot of that
. Because especially at ILM, we were the only place that was doing digital.”

Lucas would go on to elaborate further, saying that AI in filmmaking is “inevitable,” comparing it to the way the carriage industry was overtaken by the auto industry in the early 1900s. He says that sticking with one method of filmmaking just “isn’t the way the world works.”

“But the thing of it is,
it’s [AI] inevitable
. I mean, it’s like saying, ‘I don’t believe these cars are gonna work. Let’s just stick with the horses. Let’s stick with the horses.’ And yeah, you can say that, but
that isn’t the way the world works
.”

Check out the entire interview with George Lucas from Brut FR’s X (formerly Twitter) account below.

The Use of AI in Filmmaking Is as Controversial as It Has Ever Been

While artificial intelligence has been a plot device used in movies dating as far back to 1927 with the release of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, its use to actually create movies is a rather recent concern in the film industry. The argument over whether AI will eliminate the need for humans has proved divisive, with many movies facing backlash from fans and creators over its use either in the films themselves, or in promotional materials.

The recent horror movie Late Night with the Devil was slammed for using AI-generated imagery that was then retouched by production designers for the final product, while A24 faced backlash for its use of AI in promotional posters for Civil War. Similarly, AI was used to create an entire stand-up comedy special featuring the late George Carlin, leading to a lawsuit from Carlin’s family.

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Creators such as Tyler Perry and William Shatner have shrugged off the concerns of AI, while others such as director Baz Luhrmann, Matthew Modine, and Scarlett Johansson have all voiced their displeasure over the rise of AI in filmmaking and its governance.

With George Lucas now adding his voice to the mix, the question from his point of view seems to be not if, but when AI eventually becomes commonplace in Hollywood, just how much will it effect the human creators who brought about its existence, and how will these two entities manage to co-exist in this brave new world?