Filmmaker James Cameron shares fears of quickly evolving AI technology
Titanic filmmaker James Cameron agrees with experts that "AI is the biggest danger" to humanity today and claims he warned the world about the issue way back in 1984 in his movie The Terminator. This comes as the so-called 'three godfathers of AI' have recently issued warnings about the need to regulate the quickly evolving technology.
In an interview with CTV News Chief Vassy Kapelos, Cameron said: "I absolutely share their concern," he added: "I warned you guys in 1984, and you didn't listen."
The Canadian filmmaker went on to address one of his biggest concerns, which is the weaponisation of AI. He said that he fears if technology becomes too advanced, it will reach a point where humans will no longer be able to interfere.
This was the premise of his world-renowned film The Terminator - a world in which Kyle Reese was sent back in time to protect Sarah Connor to warn her of the upcoming Skynet, which is an artificial intelligence system that will start a nuclear holocaust.
“I think the weaponization of AI is the biggest danger,” he said. “I think that we will get into the equivalent of a nuclear arms race with AI, and if we don't build it, the other guys are for sure going to build it, and so then it'll escalate."
Kate Winslet recalls 'weird' sex scenes with Leo DiCaprio in front of husbandThe Oscar-winning filmmaker said he believes that is is important to evaluate the people who are developing the technology and their motives behind creating it. Cameron says we need to determine whether inventors are developing AI to gain a profit or for defence - both of which he believes can breed negative results, promoting greed and paranoia.
The need for regulation of AI is also one of the key points that has been at the forefront of the ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes. Members of the SAG-AFTRA union and the Writers Guild of America are fighting for protection of their creative rights and the impending fear of AI taking over their jobs. But the Avatar filmmaker believes that AI could never compete with the human ability to write a good story.
Cameron said: “I just don't personally believe that a disembodied mind that's just regurgitating what other embodied minds have said — about the life that they've had, about love, about lying, about fear, about mortality — and just put it all together into a word salad and then regurgitate it…I don't believe that have something that's going to move an audience."
When asked if he would ever have AI write a script for a movie he's helping to create, he responded that he 'certainly wouldn't be interested' and jokes that he'll consider it when AI can start writing Oscar award-winning screenplays.