Director Gareth Edwards, known for Jurassic World Rebirth and Rogue One, expressed enthusiasm for generative AI during a panel at Amazon's AI on the Lot event in Culver City on Thursday. He has been experimenting with diffusion models for nine months and wants to create a hybrid generative AI film, but is waiting because the technology evolves every three months. Edwards compared AI's impact to the arrival of CGI in the '90s but said it might be more significant, calling it a tool that could be 'up there with the camera.' He cautioned that AI lacks taste and cannot generate human stories, describing it as a 'second-unit director who is a billionaire on acid' that sometimes ignores notes.
gareth edwards (jurassic world rebirth, rogue one) is all in on ai filmmaking. he's been messing with diffusion models for nine months and wants to make a hybrid ai film, but the tech changes so fast he's waiting. at amazon's ai on the lot panel, he said ai is like a 'second-unit director who is a billionaire on acid' — it'll do anything but sometimes goes batshit and ignores notes. he thinks it's a bigger deal than cgi but can't replace human stories.
Edwards is one of the few big-budget directors publicly embracing generative AI, which remains controversial in Hollywood amid strikes and debates over job displacement. His positive stance, especially after directing The Creator, signals a potential shift in how major filmmakers might integrate AI into production pipelines. The comparison to a 'billionaire on acid' highlights both the power and unpredictability of current AI tools, underscoring the industry's struggle to harness the technology without losing creative control.
edwards is one of the rare blockbuster directors who's openly pro-ai, which is still a hot-button issue in hollywood. his take — ai as a chaotic but useful tool — might influence how other filmmakers approach it. calling it a 'billionaire on acid' is a perfect way to describe how powerful and unhinged current gen ai can be. this could push the conversation beyond fear into figuring out how to actually use it.
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