Filmmaker James Cameron made some insightful comments about his Avatar franchise and generative AI in a recent conversation with the CBS News Sunday Morning show. Cameron said that some insiders in Hollywood felt that he would replace actors with computer graphics for Avatar, the first film in his now-iconic epic franchise. "For years, there was this sense that, ‘Oh, they’re doing something strange with computers and they’re replacing actors,’ when in fact, once you really drill down and you see what we’re doing, it’s a celebration of the actor-director moment," Cameron said. The filmmaker also weighed in on the popular debate around artificial intelligence serving as a potential replacement for actors. He called it a "horrifying" prospect.
He argued that it is possible to "make up a performance from scratch with a text prompt" using generative AI. "That’s horrifying to me. That’s the opposite. That’s exactly what we’re not doing," Cameron argued.
James Cameron's comments about generative AI come not long after producer and comedian Eline Van der Velden's introduction of a character named Tilly Norwood, who has been made using the said piece of technology, at the 2025 Zurich Summit. At the time, the producer said that more than one talent agency has approached her team over the AI-generated performer. Its introduction faced severe criticism from entertainment industry leaders. However, Van der Velden told Variety that artificial intelligence is going to become a bigger force in the field of making films.
Coming back to Cameron, he has multiple projects at various stages of development, including a Billie Eilish concert film and a film adaptation of Charles Pellegrino's book Ghosts of Hiroshima. Meanwhile, the filmmaker is awaiting the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third part in his epic franchise.
