James Cameron Says It’s ‘Horrifying to Me’ that AI Can ‘Make Up an Actor’: It Creates a ‘Performance From Scratch With a Text Prompt’

Safe to say James Cameron will never cast Tilly Norwood in a movie.

During a recent interview with CBS’ Sunday Morning, the director of “The Terminator” explained that even before the invention of generative AI, some Hollywood insiders thought he would use computer graphics to replace actors as he was developing the first “Avatar” film in 2005.

He recalled, “For years, there was this sense that, ‘Oh, they’re doing something strange with computers and they’re replacing actors,’ when in fact, once you really drill down and you see what we’re doing, it’s a celebration of the actor-director moment.”

Cameron said now that generative AI is invading the industry, the idea that the technology could substitute for a performer is “horrifying.”

“Now, go to the other end of the spectrum, and you’ve got generative AI, where they can make up a character,” Cameron added. “They can make up an actor. They can make up a performance from scratch with a text prompt. It’s like, no. That’s horrifying to me. That’s the opposite. That’s exactly what we’re not doing.”

In September, comedian and producer Eline Van der Velden introduced AI performer Tilly Norwood to the world at the Zurich Summit, boasting that her team had already received interest from multiple talent agencies. The presentation sparked immediate backlash from industry leaders.

In a sit-down with Variety, Van der Velden said, despite the overwhelming backlash, the presence of AI is only going to grow in filmmaking.

“I think it will be a slow progression,” she said. “I’m sure in the coming year, there’ll be plenty of effects that will be made with AI. There’ll be some establishing shots, there’ll be some second-unit shots with AI, and then slowly, we’ll progress to a full AI film. And whether people will pay for an AI film or not — I don’t think they’ll know the difference. It’s good storytelling that will be the reason why people will pay for it or not.”