What Do Top Hollywood Directors Think About AI?
By Movieguide® Contributor
During a panel at Comicon, directors Roland Emmerich and Antoine Fuqua explained why they are embracing AI as a tool rather than resisting its integration into moviemaking out of fear.
“We’re creatures of habit,” Fuqua said. “I remember when I started in videos and commercials, I shot on film. Digital was a thing we all kicked and screamed about. Turns out, it’s fantastic. It’s another paintbrush we can use to do our work. AI’s the same thing.”
“[AI] doesn’t replace human feelings and human emotions,” he continued, explaining why he doesn’t believe the tool will upset the industry’s job security. “There’s things that can only happen in the moment with another human being that no computer can ever achieve.”
Emmerich shared a similar sentiment, highlighting the way the technology — when used correctly — enhances human creativity rather than subtracts from it.
“I think it’s a tool,” he said. “That’s what it is. It just makes your job as a director more easy. That’s what’s really important because it’s not like AI does everything for you. You still need to choose the right actor, shoot the right scenes, do the right thing. And then AI can really help you in doing that.”
This view, nonetheless, remains the minority opinion in Hollywood. Even with the dual strikes that occurred last summer — hinging largely on AI protection — some in the industry believe there is not enough to shield their job from the technology. This was the reason the contract did not receive unanimous support from the Actors Guild when it was voted on.
The fight for AI protection also continues to rage on in tangential fields to the industry, such as the video game industry. The performers protected by SAG-AFTRA went on strike on Aug. 2 after nearly two years of negotiations left the guild feeling their members were inadequately protected against the emerging technology.
Movieguide® previously reported:
After more than a year and a half of ongoing negotiations, video game actors represented by SAG-AFTRA have decided to go on strike due to unresolved issues in the realm of AI.
“Eighteen months of negotiations have shown us that our employers are not interested in fair, reasonable AI protections, but rather flagrant exploitations,” said Interactive Media Agreement Negotiation Committee Chair Sarah Elmaleh. “We refuse this paradigm — we will not leave any of our members behind, nor will we wait for sufficient protection any longer.”
“We look forward to collaborating with teams on our Interim and Independent contractors, which provide AI transparency, consent and compensation to all performers, and to continuing to negotiate in good faith with this bargaining group when they are ready to join us in the world we all deserve,” Elmaleh continued.
Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and video game studios began in October 2022. Even as the dual strikes struck Hollywood last summer, video game performers were willing to wait for the large studios to come around to fair AI protections without forcing their hand. Unfortunately, their patience has not paid off, and with negotiations at a standstill after nearly two years, they have been forced to strike.
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