The advent of AI has instilled a sense of fear in the entertainment industry. Will the rapidly developing AI systems replace the creatives working in the filmmaking landscape? While many in the movie-making business are grappling with the question, legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg has come up with his own two cents on the issue.
Spielberg wants to limit AI’s influence in the motion picture industry
In a recent interview and live podcast recording at the SXSW Film & TV Festival 2026, Spielberg stated in front of a live audience that he strongly opposes AI replacing human creativity, while making it clear that he is not entirely anti-AI. Furthermore, he admitted that he has not used AI in any of his films yet.
“We have our writers’ room. And all the seats are occupied. There is not an empty chair with a laptop in front of it,” Spielberg joked, much to the amusement of the audience. However, he supports the use of AI in many disciplines but draws the line when it replaces artists. “I don’t want to go on a whole rant about AI. Because I am for AI in many different disciplines. I am not for AI that replaces a creative individual.”
With the rapid rise of deepfakes and AI-generated scripts and videos, artists across the movie industry are worried about whether they will still have jobs in the years ahead. However, several artists, such as Matthew McConaughey, have advised their peers not to bury their heads in the sand but rather to adapt to the changes that advanced AI models could bring in the future.
Meanwhile, actor Ben Affleck has capitalized on the AI boom by creating a company called InterPositive, an AI tool used for filmmaking and post-production. The company was recently acquired by Netflix and is expected to be used as a tool to fix technical issues and enhance scenes rather than replace creative decision-making.
It seems that recent developments in the movie industry acknowledge that creativity cannot easily be replaced by AI models. However, it remains to be seen whether Spielberg and others working in the industry will budge from their stance as new developments continue to occur in the world of AI.
