gareth edwards backed generative AI in filmmaking during an interview at AI on the Lot in Culver City, California, saying it is "a f**king genius at helping you" and "it’s going to be better than CGI." He also said he could not see a reason filmmakers would not become interested in the tool.
The British filmmaker, who helmed Jurassic World Rebirth last year, said generative AI is useful for organizing ideas, testing concepts and producing images. He described it as "so clearly a tool that might be up there with the camera," while also saying, "It has no taste whatsoever."
AI on the Lot, Culver City
Edwards made the remarks in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter at the Amazon-organized event. He said, "I view it like having a second-unit director who is a billionaire on acid," and added that the technology is "only good for iteration and discovering what the movie should be" before filmmakers "go in and start making it your movie."
Reaction online has been divided. Some users on X criticized Edwards for embracing AI, while others argued he was describing it as a pre-production tool rather than a replacement for artists.
Hollywood AI debate
The comments land in a wider argument over generative AI that has intensified in the creative world over the past few years. The source ties that divide to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes, which were driven in part by industry changes including new technologies such as AI.
Edwards also enters a debate that has already drawn backlash for other filmmakers. Martin Scorsese recently said he uses generative AI to storyboard his movies, and that admission also sparked criticism. The conversation is set against a long history of visual-effects innovation in the Jurassic franchise, beginning with Jurassic Park in 1993 and continuing with The Lost World: Jurassic Park in 1997.
