George Lucas says AI will make filmmaking easier and there’s ‘nothing you can do about it’

George Lucas has commented on one of Hollywood’s most divisive debates, saying generative AI will make filmmaking easier and insisting there’s no stopping its rise.

The Star Wars creator shared his thoughts in a new interview with A Rabbit’s Foot, arguing that AI is simply the next stage of technology in film, regardless of the controversy surrounding it.

“Artificial intelligence means it’s much easier for us to make movies,” Lucas said. “It’s very much like sitting here saying, ‘Well, I believe the horse and buggy is really where it’s at. These cars, they break down, they need gas, there’s all kinds of problems with them, and pretty soon they’ll be making them into tanks, and then they’ll be killing people. It’s terrible.’ There’s nothing you can do about it. That’s progress, it’s the future.”

His comments come as AI continues to divide the entertainment industry, with many creatives raising concerns about copyright, jobs and the wider impact the technology could have on filmmaking.

Despite those concerns, Lucas argued that the emotional side of storytelling is what audiences actually care about.

“You go to the movies because the stories move you emotionally,” he said. “Art is an emotional medium.”

Lucas also acknowledged there are genuine risks around AI, but believes the technology could help solve some of the problems it’s accused of creating.

“If you want AI that tells you when something is fake and where it came from, AI can do that. Humans can’t, we’re not that smart,” he explained.

“The whole idea is you’re a human being, you’re responsible for what you say and what you do, and if you’re doing something that’s illegal you should be punished for that. Whatever you do, you should be recognized. It’s just like real life.”

His comments add another high-profile voice to the ongoing debate over AI in Hollywood, with opinions still sharply divided over whether the technology will ultimately help or harm the future of filmmaking.

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Featured image credit: Lucasfilm/Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock/Steven Bergman/AFF-USA/Shutterstock