Peter Jackson has weighed in on Hollywood’s growing AI debate, arguing that artificial intelligence should be treated as another filmmaking tool rather than something fundamentally different from traditional visual effects. The Lord of the Rings director defended the responsible use of AI in cinema while stressing that the real ethical problem begins when studios or companies use an actor’s likeness without permission. Jackson also warned that the current backlash against AI risks damaging recognition for legitimate motion-capture performances.
Peter Jackson: AI should be perceived as another filmmaking tool
As mentioned above, Jackson stated that he did not see AI as anything threatening the future of filmmaking. In particular, Jackson noted that the technology is nothing different from any other tool directors have been using to create visual effects on-screen. Speaking about the topic, Jackson said: “To me, it’s just a special effect. It’s no different from other special effects.”
Defending the use of AI technology in filmmaking, Jackson made it clear that digital duplication of an actor’s likeness could be acceptable as long as they were allowed to do so beforehand. For example, Jackson emphasized that using AI to recreate some person should not be considered unethical “as long as you’ve licensed the rights off the person who you’re showing.”
Commenting further, Jackson noted that the ethical issue arises “when people’s likenesses get stolen and usurped.” He added that the problem could be easily solved if AI was simply treated like any other existing copyright. In particular, Jackson emphasized that filmmakers are not allowed to use copyrighted music or even adapt book stories for movies.
Additionally, Jackson criticized the general fear and opposition towards artificial intelligence in Hollywood since it negatively impacts the recognition of motion-capture acting. Specifically, Jackson highlighted how hard it is to be recognized for motion-capture performances as shown in the case of Andy Serkis’ motion-capture work in the LotR trilogy.
In particular, according to Jackson, Andy Serkis’ Gollum should never be confused with AI acting because it was a completely human-generated performance. Specifically, Serkis’ Gollum is “human-generated performance 100% of the way” even though the actor performed as a digital creature.
Furthermore, Jackson talked about Andy Serkis’ upcoming movie called The Hunt for Gollum where he will both direct and play the role of the infamous LotR character. In this regard, Jackson explained his decision to give the movie to Serkis, explaining that he knew Gollum better than anyone else and could portray the character’s addiction perfectly.
Jackson’s comments add yet another voice of a respected filmmaker to Hollywood’s controversial AI debate that dominated discussions ever since last year’s labor strikes.
