James Cameron’s movies are known for pushing the boundaries of visual effects technology. This is especially true for the Avatar films, where the heroic blue Na’vi characters are created through performance capture. However, this does not mean Cameron is a supporter of generative artificial intelligence.
In a recent interview about the upcoming release of “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” the director acknowledged that performance capture might sound similar to generative AI. He was quick to clarify that in reality, the two are complete opposites. He explained that for years people misunderstood the process, thinking computers were doing something strange and replacing actors. Cameron stated that when you truly understand the work, it is actually a celebration of the actor and director’s collaborative moment.
The filming process involves actors performing their scenes in a massive 250,000-gallon water tank. Cameron contrasted this with generative AI, where a character, an actor, and a performance can be created from nothing using a simple text prompt. He finds that prospect horrifying and was clear that his work is exactly the opposite of that approach.