James Cameron, Creator of 'Terminator', Joins AI Company Board Amid Controversy

Director James Cameron, creator of Skynet and the Terminator, joins the board of an AI firm

Canadian filmmaker James Cameron was catapulted to fame after directing and writing 1984's The Terminator, a science fiction horror movie in which a cyborg is sent back in time by an AI defense network, Skynet, in order to eliminate the only threat it faces. In this case that means assassinating the mother of John Connor, the man who will one day lead the human resistance. The Terminator is one of the all-time great blockbusters, and much of that is down to how it evokes the terror of being pursued by a machine with a machine's purpose. "It can't be bargained with," Kyle Reese explains to Sarah Connor after the first encounter. "It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear." The Terminator is a manifestation of Skynet itself, an AI designed to ensure humankind's security, which long ago concluded that humankind itself was the problem. Cameron would expand on the backstory of Skynet in Terminator 2: Judgement Day and, thanks to the peerless quality and commercial success of both films, it would be no exaggeration to say that in the popular imagination Skynet has become a byword for rogue AI. Almost like Cameron was trying to warn us about something. Fast-forward 40 years, and James Cameron has joined the directors of AI firm Stability. I should say upfront that Stability is not developing an AI defense matrix with nuclear capability, that we know of anyway, but is focused on AI visual tools and video. The firm's best-known product is Stable Diffusion, an AI image generator, and the newer Stable Video Diffusion. Cameron's role will centre around AI's use in special effects, and fans will point out that this role makes perfect sense, given his pioneering work in computer-generated imagery and how his films continue to push boundaries in the field. And that is completely true. But the guy invented freaking Skynet and now he's the one in the boardroom at a major AI firm. "I've spent my career seeking out emerging technologies that push the very boundaries of what's possible, all in the service of telling incredible stories," said Cameron, pondering whether he should line-up a blade-based metaphor before going for it. "I was at the forefront of CGI over three decades ago, and I've stayed on the cutting edge since." Big Jim reckons "the intersection of generative AI and CGI image creation is the next wave" in the field, and I suppose he should know. His history in visual effects shows not just a pioneering spirit but an aptitude for choosing the right collaborators, and while some may question a few of the latter-day works there is just no arguing with the man's box office sense. I thought Avatar was a total snoozefest, but it used 3D to create some astonishing moments in the cinema, and remains the highest-grossing film ever made. Cameron used AI to help with special effects in 2022's Avatar: the Way of Water, which is the third highest-grossing film of all time. The fourth highest-grossing film ever is Titanic which, love story aside, is an astonishing special effects extravaganza, albeit in that case real effects. No wonder the AI wonks want Cameron on board: might be nice to have someone in the field with an inkling of how to wring any profit out of these things. Current AI's creation capabilities can be superficially impressive but the consumer products are a million miles away from the kind of super-polished production Cameron specialises in: This is one of the major directions of travel for special effects, and I doubt anyone knows more about the field than our Skynet-creating friend. "We watch Terminator and we form the idea that AI has malicious intentions towards humanity and that it will destroy us in the near future," Rashik Parmar of The Chartered Institute for IT told the BBC. "Cameron has a real opportunity to change the narrative and build a positive view of AI, we're very happy to work with him on that." Not quite sure that my inner Kyle Reese will ever die but, if he does, I guess credit James Cameron for changing the narrative once more.

James Cameron joins board of AI company - and faces backlash

A major coup for AI... A kick in the teeth for some creatives and fans. Hollywood's relationship with artificial intelligence is far from a blissful one... It was one of the major reasons behind the writers and actors going on strike last year, as they were fearful for the protection of their images and craft from unregulated AI. Then there are the countless lawsuit threats over fears that some AI companies have trained their models on content - all without permission - and the question of copyright when a technology works by analysing human-made pictures. With the strikes still ringing in creatives' ears comes an announcement that has not gotten unanimous approval. James Cameron, the director behind The Terminator, Aliens, Titanic and the Avatarsaga, has joined the board of directors of AI firm StabilityAI - a London-based maker of artificial intelligence image-generation tool Stable Diffusion that rivals those made by Microsoft-backed OpenAI, for example. His role will apparently centre around how the technology can be used in special effects in films. In a statement, the company's CEO Prem Akkaraju said: "James Cameron lives in the future and waits for the rest of us to catch up." "Stability AI's mission is to transform visual media for the next century by giving creators a full stack AI pipeline to bring their ideas to life," added Akkaraju. "We have an unmatched advantage to achieve this goal with a technological and creative visionary like James at the highest levels of our company. This is not only a monumental statement for Stability AI, but the AI industry overall." Cameron said: "I've spent my career seeking out emerging technologies that push the very boundaries of what's possible, all in the service of telling incredible stories." "I was at the forefront of CGI over three decades ago, and I've stayed on the cutting edge since," she shared. "Now, the intersection of generative AI and CGI image creation is the next wave. The convergence of these two totally different engines of creation will unlock new ways for artists to tell stories in ways we could have never imagined. Stability AI is poised to lead this transformation." Pretty words, but the 70-year-old is now facing backlash, with many highlighting the irony that the announcement comes 40 years after Cameron made a film warning about the risks of AI. Indeed, in 1984, The Terminator saw a rogue AI, Skynet, threaten the very existence of mankind. Still, Cameron seems hopeful that an artificial general superintelligence system won't turn antagonistic... One social media user wrote: "I've thought about this a lot even before the news about James Cameron and AI hit but it's so crazy how the first Terminator is such a deeply technophobic and anti-AI sci-fi movie, and then every movie Jim made after that was like 'but aren't the robots so cool tho?'" Another fan said: "It's hardly surprising but James Cameron going in on generative AI is more disappointing being that he got his start working on Roger Corman movies and doing matte paintings for John Carpenter. AI doesn't open doors for creatives it closes them." Another added: "The recent 4K 'restorations' of his films all used AI garbage, so this isn't surprising from James Cameron at all. I find it incredibly depressing that one of the pioneers of modern Hollywood blockbuster cinema feels the need to cut corners and destroy his own art." More venomously, one wrote: "Thrilled to be vindicated by my disdain for James Cameron. It's been abundantly obvious this has been the direction he's heading in. Quite surprised how many fans have been duped by him. He's not an artist or a filmmaker. He's a tech bro who makes visual simulations." On the back of the useless Titanic 4K restoration and the dire Avatar: The Way of Water, it's hard to disagree and not side with the likes of Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away), who has described AI-generated videos as "an insult to life itself" and Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, The Shape of Water), who recently shared his views on how AI can only generate "semi-compelling screensavers." So, are you more Team Way or Team Shape when it comes to water (and AI in the creation of movies)?

You Will Never in 1,000 Years Guess Who Just Joined the Board of the Failing Creator of Stable Diffusion

The guy behind Skynet getting into AI -- what could possibly go wrong? Canadian filmmaker James Cameron, the man behind the iconic film "The Terminator" -- in which a rogue AI destroys most of humankind -- is jumping on the AI bandwagon. The guy behind Skynet getting into AI -- what could possibly go wrong? Generative AI company Stability AI, the firm behind the popular image generator Stable Diffusion, announced today that Cameron will be joining its board of directors. "I've spent my career seeking out emerging technologies that push the very boundaries of what's possible, all in the service of telling incredible stories," Cameron said in a statement. "I was at the forefront of CGI over three decades ago, and I've stayed on the cutting edge since. Now, the intersection of generative AI and CGI image creation is the next wave." It's a notable addition, not just because of Cameron's sheer amount of influence in Hollywood. The use of generative AI in the entertainment industry has proven highly controversial, with actors fighting for their right to not have their likeness or voice be replaced with AI. Just last week, California passed two new bills protecting actors and performers against AI, setting a precedent for future tech legislation. So now that one of the highest-grossing directors of all time has thrown his weight behind the tech, the debate could take on a new urgency. To Cameron, AI combined with cutting-edge CGI "will unlock new ways for artists to tell stories in ways we could have never imagined." Cameron has a track record of pushing the envelope when it comes to digital filmmaking, including the "Avatar" series, blockbuster movies that are entirely computer-generated. Stability AI, despite its name, has had a very rocky past. Earlier this year, the company faced a severe cash crunch, despite former CEO Emad Mostaque raising $100 million for the venture in 2022. The Information reported in May that the company generated less than $5 million in revenue in the first quarter of this year, while losing more than $30 million. In June, Stability AI appointed its new CEO, Prem Akkaraju, who previously led major visual effects company Weta Digital. At the time, the company got a much-needed cash injection of $80 million. Now that a Hollywood juggernaut has thrown his weight behind the company, things could turn around the once-ailing firm. But where that leaves the debate surrounding the use of generative AI in the industry, particularly when it comes to the rights of human actors and performers, remains to be seen.