As far as George Lucas is concerned, resisting AI in moviemaking is about as reasonable as waiting around for the return of the horse-drawn carriage.
The mind behind Star Wars has once again shared his thoughts on artificial intelligence, and this time he isn’t mincing words. Speaking recently with A Rabbit’s Foot, Lucas planted himself squarely behind adopting the technology. To his thinking, AI streamlines the work of making films, and its rise is simply an inevitable stage of technological advancement.
In his own words: “It makes it much easier for us to create movies. It’s like someone sitting today and saying they prefer horse-drawn carriages to cars. Yes, cars have problems and can be used for bad purposes, but you can’t do anything about it. That’s progress, that’s the future.”
He’s done pretending the tool is the villain
Look closely at his logic. He never disputes the drawbacks. He simply won’t accept them as grounds to halt.
As the discussion shifted toward the ethical dilemmas surrounding AI, Lucas offered no comforting platitudes. Rather, he highlighted what the technology might repair, singling out misinformation and counterfeit digital content as precisely the issues it could help address.
The fault, he says, is human
“If you want an AI that tells you what’s fake and where it comes from, AI can do it,” Lucas said. “We humans aren’t that smart. People are responsible for what they say and do and, if they break the law, they must be punished.”
It’s a stark reframing. The technology isn’t the one telling lies. Responsibility sits with the human operating it, and Lucas expects that individual to answer for it.
Remember, this is someone who spent a career driving every available visual technique further than the industry believed possible. So his stance fits the pattern. He isn’t peddling a rosy dream, nor is he cautioning you against some threat.
He’s merely pointing out that the cars are already out on the road. Hold onto the reins if that’s your choice.