George Lucas never looks backwards. When he didn’t know how to make a shot he wanted in Star Wars, he invented the technology to do it. When he had a vision for the Star Wars prequels, he waited until technology caught up before he brought it to life. And when he and his team wrote scripts for a live-action Star Wars show, but the technology couldn’t sustain it, it simply never happened.
George Lucas has always embraced technology and looked toward the future. So the fact that he has an optimistic view on the use of artificial intelligence shouldn’t be that big of a surprise. Whether he fully understands its implications, though? That’s another question.
Speaking to A Rabbit’s Foot to promote the upcoming opening of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, the Star Wars creator explained his thoughts on AI. “Artificial intelligence means it’s much easier for us to make movies,” Lucas said. “It’s very much like sitting here saying, ‘Well, I believe the horse and the buggy is really where it’s at. These cars, they break down, they need gas, there’s all kinds of problems with them, and pretty soon they’ll be making them into tanks, and then they’ll be killing people. It’s terrible.’ There’s nothing you can do about it. That’s progress. It’s the future.”
“If you want AI that tells you when something is fake and where it came from, AI can do that,” Lucas continued. “Humans can’t. We’re not that smart. The whole idea is you’re a human being, you’re responsible for what you say and what you do, and if you’re doing something that’s illegal, you should be punished for that. Whatever you do, you should be recognized. It’s just like real life.”
Now, on the one hand, obviously, it’s a little disappointing to hear one of your heroes talk positively about something you may not like. But George Lucas doesn’t care what people think. In the same interview, he rips on the test screening process and talks about how he views the creation of art.
“I don’t like focus groups,” Lucas said. “The audience doesn’t know what they want to see. If they don’t like a character, that’s interesting, and as a filmmaker I want to find out why. But when the studios hear that, they take the wrong message. They let the audience actually make the movie. Of course, now they go crazy with that. Now, it’s all about what the fans think. That isn’t how you make the movie. You make a movie by finding someone that knows how to make movies, that has a story to tell and is passionate about it.”
Basically, Lucas wants creators to be responsible and capable. Like he was when he created Industrial Light and Magic, which all but pioneered the modern use of computers in cinema. Digital effects, computer animation—so much of it has its roots at ILM and through Lucas. The difference, of course, is that humans are the ones using those computers, and AI takes that out of humans’ hands.
So it’s really no surprise that Lucas looks at what most people assume is the next giant leap in technology and hopes for the best. It’s what he does, and it’s served him well. We just aren’t sure if his worldview in 2026 matches up with the people of 2026. Can modern filmmakers be trusted to be as responsible as Lucas wants? Do they have the same work ethic and morals? We guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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