Filmmaker George Lucas has drawn a parallel between modern resistance to artificial intelligence and the historical reluctance to adopt new technologies, likening the opposition to cars in favor of horse-drawn carriages. Lucas, speaking in an interview with A Rabbit's Foot, stated that AI represents an inevitable progression, similar to how automobiles superseded their predecessors.
Lucas, known for his pioneering use of technology in filmmaking, particularly in the Star Wars saga, suggests that dismissing AI is akin to clinging to outdated methods. He remarked on how some of his peers in the film preservation community are hesitant to embrace digital technologies, preferring traditional film. "It's the moving image. That's what it is. It's not a technology, it's an idea," Lucas stated, applying this philosophy to AI.
"Artificial intelligence means it's much easier for us to make movies," he explained. "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.'"
He concluded this line of reasoning by asserting, "There's nothing you can do about it. That's progress, it's the future." This perspective aligns with a broader trend of technological optimism often expressed by AI proponents.
However, Lucas acknowledged that AI is qualitatively different from advancements like digital cameras. He noted that AI development involves the use of vast amounts of human-created work, which is then processed by computers. "The former is tech that was developed by more-or-less stealing vast oceans of original, human-made work in order to equip computers with the capacity to digest them into a sort of vaguely novel composite mulch, while the latter is digital cameras. It feels a little obtuse of Lucas not to grapple with that," the article notes.
Despite these concerns, Lucas believes AI can also offer solutions to its own drawbacks. "If you want AI that tells you when something is fake and where it came from, AI can do that. Humans can't, we're not that smart," he posited. He emphasized the importance of human accountability, stating, "The whole idea is you're a human being, you're responsible for what you say and what you do, and if you're doing something that's illegal you should be punished for that. Whatever you do, you should be recognised. It's just like real life."