The film industry is rife with questions surrounding the ethical use of AI, and many are looking to film legends like Steven Spielberg to make their own judgments about how the technology should and shouldn’t be used. Director Spielberg is not ready to give a definitive answer, but he is not opposed to artificial intelligence taking the place of writers.
“I’m reserving judgment on AI until I see how it’s actually being used,” Spielberg said Wednesday on “IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson.” “From what I’m reading, I think AI is being used more often and better in China now. China is more advanced than where we are now in AI. But how AI is being used, I don’t know.”
Ahead of the release of his latest sci-fi film, Disclosure Day, director Spielberg spoke about his career in a video podcast with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson. Later in the interview, President Obama brought up the topic of artificial intelligence in his books and films. Spielberg said he directed a film on the subject (titled “AI”) in 2001, long before the intrusion of generative AI became a daily discussion in the film and television industry.
The filmmaker pointed to areas where artificial intelligence can be useful, such as algorithms that find solutions to medical problems and helping educators create inspiring curriculum. He’s not yet ready to make an overall verdict on whether the technology is good or bad, but it’s a big draw for studios looking to replace writers with AI.
“What I don’t like about AI is when it takes over or there’s an empty chair at the writer’s table. There are six writers, there’s an empty chair, there’s a computer on the empty chair, and there’s a seventh writer,” he said. “I’m not going to replace it, because I don’t really believe in the senses. I don’t really believe there’s a replacement for the soul.”
You can watch the entire video below.
At the beginning of the conversation, Spielberg talked about his career as a young writer and filmmaker, saying he would write spec scripts that might not sell just to learn how to put together a story and what he wanted to say as a creator.
“You can’t write anything if you don’t have something to say,” Spielberg said. “It doesn’t have to be ‘blank-blank-blank-words.’ It just has to be important to you. Then you’re someone who comes from a place of passion to communicate what’s important to you.”
“Disclosure Day” will be released in theaters on June 12th.
