James Cameron, once a strong critic of AI in filmmaking, has shifted his stance, now recognising its potential to improve efficiency in the visual effects (VFX) process. While still believing AI can’t fully replace human creativity, the director sees it as a tool to help speed up production and reduce costs.
Cameron recently explained his position in Boz To The Future podcast,
"If we want to continue to see big, effects-heavy films, we’ve got to figure out how to cut the cost of that in half."
He clarified that this doesn’t mean laying off staff but rather doubling their speed to complete shots, allowing artists to work more efficiently and move on to new tasks.
The director’s new perspective comes after joining the board of Stability AI, the company behind the text-to-image model, Stable Diffusion. Although he maintains that AI won’t replace humans in critical roles, Cameron believes it can play a valuable role in enhancing the VFX process, offering faster turnaround times and more creative possibilities.
