Steven Spielberg says he’s ‘never used AI’ in any of his films

Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg spoke retired against the usage of AI exertion erstwhile utilized successful originative endeavors successful an interrogation astatine the SXSW league successful Austin connected Friday. Asked however helium viewed AI’s inferior arsenic portion of the filmmaking process, Spielberg said, “I’ve ne'er utilized AI connected immoderate of my films yet,” to which the assemblage erupted with cheers and applause.

The director/producer/screenwriter, who became a household sanction for blockbusters similar “Jaws,” “E.T.,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and galore others, is not anti-technology, necessarily. His ain films person imagined worlds filled with technology, for some bully and bad, similar “Minority Report,” “Ready Player One,” and, of course, “A.I. Artificial Intelligence,” to sanction a few. They also, similar “Jurassic Park,” caution what mightiness hap if technologists were excessively preoccupied with whether oregon not they could bash thing that they didn’t halt to deliberation if they should.

At SXSW 2026, Spielberg said helium didn’t privation to spell connected a rant astir A.I., noting that helium was for the exertion “in galore disciplines,” but successful his writers’ rooms, adjacent successful TV, “there’s not an bare seat with a laptop successful beforehand of it.” Meaning, he’s not outsourcing creativity to the machine.

“I americium not for AI if it replaces a originative individual,” helium said.

Of course, idiosyncratic similar Spielberg whitethorn not request an AI assist. AI startups are pitching themselves to resource-constrained indie filmmakers. Elsewhere, large names successful streaming are besides looking to usage AI. Amazon this twelvemonth said it’s testing tools for AI successful movie and TV production, and Netflix earlier this period acquired Ben Affleck’s AI filmmaking institution for a reported $600 million.