James Cameron's “Avatar” sequel may seem like a big Hollywood production that could benefit greatly from generative AI software. The gorgeous world of Pandora and the indigenous Na'vi requires advanced special effects that can be aided by AI software. But the acclaimed director, whose ambitious sci-fi stories rely on cutting-edge visual effects, is strongly opposed to replacing traditional filmmaking with AI. He also shares the concerns of others that AI could eventually lead to a catastrophe similar to the one that occurs in another of Cameron's famous Terminator series, where self-aware AI attacks humanity.
In an interview with CTV News, Prime Minister Cameron responded to a question about AI with a “Terminator'' joke. “I warned you all in 1984, but you didn't listen,” he said jokingly, before getting more serious. The director said they must follow the interests and funding of those developing advanced AI products. They're doing it for market share, so they're “teaching the AI greed”, or if they're doing it for defense, they're teaching the AI ”paranoia”.
“I think the biggest danger is the weaponization of AI,” he said. “I think we're going to end up in a situation similar to a nuclear arms race with AI. If we don't create AI, other people will definitely create it. And AI will escalate further,” Cameron said. “Imagine AI on the battlefield, where everything is being fought by computers at a speed where humans can no longer intervene, without the ability to de-escalate tensions.” Cameron made those comments in July 2023, when generative AI products like ChatGPT were still in their infancy. ChatGPT had gone viral just a few months earlier, in late November 2022.
AI is already being used for defense purposes
Prime Minister Cameron's comments come at a time when some of the 'godfathers' of AI have warned of the need to regulate AI technology to ensure it does not pose a threat to humanity. Prime Minister David Cameron said he shared their concerns. At the same time, Hollywood's actors and writers unions went on strike, suspending production of movies and television shows. AI was a concern for creators, who were concerned about studios relying on generative AI software instead of AI. The “Avatar” director said at the time that he didn't think AI was a danger to writers because machines can't tell good stories. “If we wait 20 years and AI wins the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, I think we need to take it seriously,” he said.
There have been significant advances in the AI industry since Prime Minister David Cameron's interview in July 2023, including the use of AI products in government departments and for defense purposes. For example, OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, partnered with Anduril in December 2024 to improve America's “counter-unmanned aircraft systems (CUAS) and its ability to detect, assess, and respond to potentially lethal air threats in real time.” Mr. Anduril's press release echoed Mr. Cameron's remarks, referring to the “accelerating competition between the United States and China” to lead the world in AI. “If the United States concedes, we risk losing the technological advantage that has supported our national security for decades,” Anduril said.
NATO signed an agreement with Palantir in April 2025 for the Maven AI system, which could improve “information fusion and targeting, battlespace awareness and planning, and faster decision-making.” These AI defense partnerships are a far cry from Prime Minister David Cameron's fictional Skynet AI developments in The Terminator. But these are just a few early examples of bringing generative AI tools into the military.
What about the use of AI in Avatar: Fire and Ash?
In November 2025, AI came up again in an interview with Prime Minister David Cameron. This time it wasn't about the AI in the theater of battle, fighting at speeds that humans can't control, but about the artistic process. While promoting the latest installment in the Avatar series, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Cameron mentioned the technology used to make the project a reality. AI products such as ChatGPT and Gemini have made significant advances since July 2023. AI image and video generators can create realistic images and videos with just a text prompt. In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Cameron explained that the motion capture technology used in “Avatar” is not the same as generative AI.
“For years there was a sense of, 'Oh, they're doing some weird thing with computers and replacing actors,'” Cameron said. “In fact, once you dig deep and understand what we're doing, it becomes a celebration of the actor-director moment.” “At the other end of the spectrum, you have generative AI, where you can create characters, you can create actors, you can create performances from scratch with text prompts,” Cameron continued. “No, that's horrible. That's exactly what we're not doing.”
That said, Prime Minister David Cameron told Reuters in December 2025 that he sees value in using AI in creative endeavors, but that it is not meant to replace actors. In the same interview, he admitted that he must find a way to cut costs before starting production on the next two Avatar films. Separately, Mr. Cameron joined Stability AI's Board of Directors in September 2024. The company develops AI software tools for visual media such as images, video, 3D, audio, and language.
