George Lucas, the visionary behind Star Wars and founder of Lucasfilm, has drawn a parallel between rejecting artificial intelligence in filmmaking and clinging to horse-drawn carriages over automobiles. Lucas stated that AI, despite its current imperfections, represents an inevitable progression.
"Artificial intelligence means it’s much easier for us to make movies," Lucas told A Rabbit’s Foot. He elaborated on this sentiment by comparing the resistance to AI with the historical adoption of cars. "It’s very much like sitting here saying, ‘Well, I believe the horse and the buggy is really where it’s at. These cars, they break down, they need gas, there’s all kinds of problems with them and pretty soon they’ll be making them into tanks, and then they’ll be killing people. It’s terrible.’ There’s nothing you can do about it. That’s progress, it’s the future."
Lucas, who is now retired from filmmaking, also suggested that AI could be employed to counteract its own potential dangers, such as identifying synthetic media. He asserted that individuals who misuse AI for illicit activities should face consequences.
Artificial intelligence has become a prominent topic across the entertainment industry, impacting fields from cinema to video games. Concerns have been raised about the proliferation of AI-generated content and its integration into business models aimed at boosting productivity. The emergence of an entirely AI-generated film adaptation of The Odyssey, released to coincide with Christopher Nolan's recent blockbuster, has drawn significant criticism.
This perspective contrasts sharply with that of director Christopher Nolan, who recently expressed satisfaction with audiences' apparent rejection of AI-generated content. Similarly, 21-year-old director Kane Parsons, known for The Backrooms, has described AI as "genuinely harmful" to creativity, calling it a symptom of "cultural and economic rot." Parsons told The Australian, "I think I’m in the same boat as most well-adjusted people. If I could snap my fingers and make generative AI disappear forever, I probably would. Creatively, I get no enjoyment from using those tools. It defeats the purpose entirely for me."
Lucas's comments have elicited criticism from some fans who have responded with Star Wars-themed disappointment, referencing lines like "You were the chosen one!" and Darth Vader's pronouncements of doom.
However, a segment of the fanbase views Lucas's stance as unsurprising, given his history of embracing technological advancements in filmmaking. Comments suggest that his enthusiasm for CGI in the past foreshadows his current acceptance of AI. "I mean, this isn't at all surprising," one user commented. "Do you remember how crazy he was for CGI? He definitely would have made a movie with mostly AI if not entirely. This is actually a very very George Lucas take."
Another fan noted Lucas's "mechanic mindset when it comes to film making," suggesting that he views AI as simply another tool. "AI is just another tool in the tool box to him and as a mechanic of course he's going to want to use the cool new tool. He's not like studio executives who dream of replacing people with it to increase profits."