A.I. director Steven Spielberg does not want to use AI in front of the camera
American director Steven Spielberg said AI can be a great tool 'if used responsibly and morally' to help find a cure for cancer and other diseases.
LOS ANGELES – When Steven Spielberg directed the film A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), the technology was the stuff of science fiction – a device to tell a story about the ethics of creating sentient machines.
Now, AI is a concrete reality in Hollywood – one where the American film-maker said he has drawn a line in the sand.
'I don't want AI making any creative decisions that I can't make myself,' said Spielberg in an interview with Reuters. 'And I don't want to use AI as a non-human collaborator, in trying to work out my creative thinking.'
The78-year-old director was speaking in late June after a ceremony dedicating the Steven Spielberg Theater on the Universal Studios lot. The event acknowledged his decades-long relationship with the studio, which released films such as Jaws (1975), E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Jurassic Park (1993) and Schindler's List (1993).
The acclaimed director joked that his career at Universal began in 1967, when he took a tour of the lot as a high school student. He said he hid in the bathroom during a break, and waited for the tour to move on without him, 'then I had the entire lot to myself that day'.
'Our hope and dream is that it's not just the place that is founded on his extraordinary legacy,' said Ms Donna Langley, chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios. 'But it is the place of future hopes and dreams of film-makers and storytellers who are going to take this company into the next 100 years and the 100 years after that, people who come with a hope and a dream, people who have been inspired by Steven.'
The modest box-office hit A.I. Artificial Intelligence was a meditation on love, l oss and what it means to be human through the eyes of a discarded humanoid robot. In the Pinocchio-like journey set in a futuristic dystopia, David, the android boy, yearns to be human, searching for love, in a world of machines and artificial intelligence.
The film hit screens when AI was still in its nascent stages and predated the launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT by 21 years.
Film-maker against AI making creative decisions
'It wasn't about artificial intelligence as much as it was about sentient existence, and can you love a sentient entity? Can a mother love a robot child?' said Spielberg. 'It was not really where AI is taking us today. Eventually, there will be a convergence between AI and robotics.'
Spielberg said AI can be a great tool 'if used responsibly and morally' to help find a cure for cancer and other diseases.
'I just draw a line – and it's not a line of cement, it's just a little bit of line in the sand – which gives me some wiggle room to say (that) I have the option to revise this thinking in the future,' he said. 'But right now, I don't want AI making any creative decisions.'
He said he has seen, first-hand, how technology can replace human talent while working on Jurassic Park.
Spielberg initially planned to use renowned stop-motion clay animation artist Phil Tippett to create the dinosaurs roaming the island theme park. Visual effects artist Dennis Muren proposed an alternative method, using Industrial Light & Magic's computer-generated imagery to create realistic dinosaurs.
The director is an executive producer in Jurassic World Rebirth, which opens in theatres on July 2.
'That kind of made certain careers somewhat extinct,' said Spielberg. 'So, I'm very sensitive to things that AI may do to take work away from people.'
The director has yet to use AI on any of his films so far, though he is open to possible applications of it behind-the-scenes, in functions like budgeting or planning.
'I don't want to use it in front of the camera right now,' Spielberg said. 'Not quite yet.' REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Once a hip-hop king, Sean 'Diddy' Combs faces possible prison time after mixed verdict
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox NEW YORK - Sean "Diddy" Combs, who elevated hip-hop in American culture while building a music and clothing empire that made him a billionaire, was found guilty of prostitution-related offenses but cleared of sex trafficking on Wednesday. The mixed verdict means he will be spared the possibility of a life sentence, but may still face substantial prison time. Combs faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence on each of the two prostitution counts. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian will determine Combs' sentence at a later date. The 55-year-old Combs is among the most influential and widely recognized men in the entertainment field to face sexual abuse allegations after the #MeToo movement encouraged accusers to speak up. Like movie producer Harvey Weinstein and R&B singer R. Kelly, Combs was accused by prosecutors of using his influence and wealth to coerce women into unwanted sexual activity, and intimidate them into staying quiet for years. Combs pleaded not guilty to five felony counts including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Over the course of seven weeks of testimony in Manhattan federal court, two of his former girlfriends testified that he forced them to take part in days-long, drug-fueled sexual encounters with male prostitutes sometimes called "Freak Offs" while Combs watched, masturbated and occasionally filmed. Since his arrest in September, Combs has been jailed in Brooklyn - far from the mansions in Miami and Los Angeles where he had been living but about an hour by subway from the Harlem neighborhood where he was born. His father died four years after his birth, and Combs was raised by a single mother. She often attended the trial, joined by several of Combs' children. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore and Cambodia to expand collaboration in renewable energy, carbon markets and agri-trade Singapore From camping to mentorship, Singapore scouts mark 115th anniversary of the youth movement Singapore Ong Beng Seng's court hearing rescheduled one day before he was expected to plead guilty World Sean 'Diddy' Combs convicted on prostitution counts but cleared of more serious charges Singapore ByteDance food poisoning: Catering firm convicted after cockroach infestation found on premises Singapore Teen, 17, to be charged with allegedly trespassing on MRT tracks Singapore Granddaughter of Hin Leong founder O.K. Lim fails to keep 3 insurance policies from creditors' reach Singapore Man on trial for raping drunken woman after offering to drive her and her friend home After two years at Howard University in Washington, Combs dropped out to go into the music business. He worked at New York's Uptown Records before co-founding Bad Boy Records in 1993. Combs was a hustler and a showman. He is credited with turning artists like Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls) and Usher into stars, and broadening hip-hop's appeal in the 1990s and 2000s. Musicians, athletes and actors angled to be in Combs' circle, while Combs flaunted a lavish lifestyle filled with diamonds, yachts and over-the-top parties. In the late 1990s, he dated singer Jennifer Lopez, and they became one of entertainment's biggest power couples. "He made hip-hop seem so vital and lively to American culture that everyone wanted to be a piece of it," author Mark Anthony Neal said in the Max documentary "The Fall of Diddy." Combs won three Grammy awards including for "I'll Be Missing You," a 1997 tribute to Biggie after he was killed in a drive-by shooting. He built on his celebrity by launching the multimillion-dollar Sean John clothing brand and Revolt TV cable network. Combs even became a Broadway headliner, starring in "A Raisin in the Sun" in 2004. Combs has sold his stake in Revolt. A spokesperson for Combs did not respond to a request for comment about the status of Sean John. By 2022, Forbes magazine estimated that Combs' wealth had topped $1 billion, and his rags-to-riches story was seen as an inspiration for other Black men. That same year, Combs received a lifetime achievement honor at the BET Awards. "Anything I do is through love," Combs said at the ceremony. 'COLLATERAL' RECORDINGS Not so, according to prosecutors. They contend that Combs used his business empire's employees and resources to force the two alleged victims - the rhythm and blues singer Casandra "Cassie" Ventura and a woman known in court by the pseudonym Jane - into the sexual performances. Both women testified that Combs beat them and threatened to cut off financial support or leak sex tapes of them when they hesitated to take part in the encounters. Combs' defense lawyers acknowledged that Combs was abusive in his domestic relationships but argued that the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual. They pointed the jury toward tender and sexually explicit texts Ventura and Jane sent Combs over the course of their relationships with him, and highlighted portions of their testimony in which both women said they at times took part in the sexual performances because they loved Combs and wanted to make him happy. Combs still faces dozens of civil lawsuits by women and men accusing Combs of sexual abuse. Ventura sued Combs in November 2023, accusing him of rape and serial physical abuse during their decade-long professional and romantic relationship, which he denied. They settled one day later for $20 million. Fortune magazine estimated that Combs' net worth fell to about $400 million by 2024. REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
The Sean 'Diddy' Combs story - From recording studio to criminal trial
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox NEW YORK - Sean "Diddy" Combs, the hip-hop mogul who discovered the Notorious B.I.G. and ran one of the genre's most iconic record labels, was found guilty on Wednesday of prostitution-related offenses but acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing. Here is a timeline of his rise and fall from music industry A-lister to (convicted felon / vindicated criminal defendant). Here is a timeline of his career and legal troubles: 1993 - Combs establishes his record label Bad Boy Records, bringing along rapper Christopher Wallace (the Notorious B.I.G.) from their former label. 1996 - Under the name 'Puff Daddy,' Combs releases his first solo album, titled "No Way Out," which later wins a Grammy Award for best rap album. 1999 - Combs pleads guilty in New York state court to harassment for attacking another rapper's manager and is sentenced to one day of anger management class. Several months later, Combs is charged with weapons offenses over a shooting at a club in New York's Times Square but is acquitted at trial. 2001 - A Detroit radio host sues Combs for assault, claiming the rap mogul's associates roughed him up and destroyed an interview tape. Combs denies wrongdoing and is ultimately cleared by a jury. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore and Cambodia to expand collaboration in renewable energy, carbon markets and agri-trade Singapore From camping to mentorship, Singapore scouts mark 115th anniversary of the youth movement Singapore Ong Beng Seng's court hearing rescheduled one day before he was expected to plead guilty World Sean 'Diddy' Combs convicted on prostitution counts, but cleared of more serious charges Singapore ByteDance food poisoning: Catering firm convicted after cockroach infestation found on premises Singapore Teen, 17, to be charged with allegedly trespassing on MRT tracks Singapore Granddaughter of Hin Leong founder O.K. Lim fails to keep 3 insurance policies from creditors' reach Singapore Man on trial for raping drunken woman after offering to drive her and her friend home 2003 - A former business partner sues Combs for allegedly threatening him with a baseball bat. Combs denies the allegations, and the case is dismissed after an appeals court finds the statute of limitations had expired. 2008 - Combs privately settles a lawsuit by a man who claimed the mogul punched him outside a Hollywood nightclub. 2015 - Combs is arrested for aggravated assault after an argument with his son's football coach in Los Angeles. The charges are later dropped. 2017 - Combs' former personal chef sues the mogul for sexual harassment and retaliation. The case is settled for an undisclosed amount two years later. November 16, 2023 -- Combs' former girlfriend Cassie Ventura sues Combs in New York federal court for rape, sex trafficking and physical abuse. Combs and Ventura settle the case for $20 million a day later. May 17, 2024 -- CNN releases footage purporting to show Combs violently assaulting Ventura at a hotel in Los Angeles on March 5, 2016. May 19, 2024 -- Combs posts an apology video for the Ventura incident, saying he is "truly sorry" for his "inexcusable" actions. October 14, 2024 -- Combs is accused of assault in six new civil lawsuits filed by an attorney who said he was representing 120 people who accused Combs of abuse. September 16, 2024 -- Combs is arrested in New York and charged with racketeering, sex trafficking by force and transportation for purposes of prostitution. He pleads not guilty the following day, and a judge denies him bail. April 4, 2025 -- Federal prosecutors in Manhattan file an expanded indictment charging Combs with five criminal counts. Combs pleads not guilty two weeks later. May 5, 2025 -- Combs' trial begins with jury selection before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan federal court. June 24, 2025 -- Prosecutors rest their case after six weeks of testimony. The defense calls no witnesses of its own, but shows jurors text messages between Combs and Ventura. July 2, 2025 -- Combs found guilty of prostitution-related offenses, acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking. REUTERS
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Sean 'Diddy' Combs found guilty at criminal trial
Sean \"Diddy\" Combs and his attorney Marc Agnifilo discuss how to respond to a new note sent by jurors, during Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, New York, U.S., July 1, 2025 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg NEW YORK - Sean "Diddy" Combs was found guilty on Wednesday after a criminal trial in which two of the music mogul's former girlfriends testified that he physically and sexually abused them. Combs, a former billionaire known for elevating hip-hop in American culture, was charged with racketeering conspiracy and two counts each of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Prosecutors say Combs for two decades used his business empire to force two of his romantic partners to take part in drug-fueled, days-long sexual performances sometimes known as "Freak Offs" with male sex workers in hotel rooms while Combs watched, masturbated and occasionally filmed. During raids of Combs' homes, authorities found drugs and 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant that he would use in the performances, prosecutors said. Combs, 55, had pleaded not guilty to all five counts. His lawyers acknowledged that the Bad Boy Records founder, once famed for hosting lavish parties for the cultural elite in luxurious locales like the Hamptons and Saint-Tropez, was at times violent in his domestic relationships. But they said the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual. The seven-week trial in Manhattan federal court exposed the inner workings of Combs' business empire and gave the 12-member jury an intimate look into his volatile romantic relationships with the rhythm and blues singer Casandra "Cassie" Ventura and a woman known in court by the pseudonym Jane. Ventura sued Combs in November 2023 for sex trafficking, the first of dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of abuse. Combs, also known throughout his career as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy and once feted for turning artists like Notorious B.I.G. and Usher into stars, settled with Ventura for $20 million. He has denied all wrongdoing. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore and Cambodia to expand collaboration in renewable energy, carbon markets and agri-trade Singapore From camping to mentorship, Singapore scouts mark 115th anniversary of the youth movement Singapore Ong Beng Seng's court hearing rescheduled one day before he was expected to plead guilty Singapore ByteDance food poisoning: Catering firm convicted after cockroach infestation found on premises Singapore Teen, 17, to be charged with allegedly trespassing on MRT tracks Singapore Granddaughter of Hin Leong founder O.K. Lim fails to keep 3 insurance policies from creditors' reach Singapore Man on trial for raping drunken woman after offering to drive her and her friend home At the trial, jurors saw surveillance footage from 2016 showing Combs kicking and dragging Ventura in the hallway of an InterContinental hotel in Los Angeles, where she said she was trying to leave a "Freak Off." Jane later testified that Combs in June 2024 attacked her and directed her to perform oral sex on a male entertainer, even though she told him she did not want to. That alleged attack took place a month after Combs apologized on social media for his 2016 attack of Ventura, footage of which had been broadcast on CNN. According to prosecutors, physical violence was just one way Combs compelled Ventura and Jane to take part in the performances - an act of coercion they say amounts to sex trafficking because the male escorts were paid. Both women testified that he threatened to withhold financial support and to leak sexually explicit images of them if they refused to comply. "The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted," prosecutor Christy Slavik said in her closing argument on June 26. "He doesn't take no for an answer." Combs' defense lawyers argued that while Combs may have committed domestic violence in the context of volatile romantic partnerships, his conduct did not amount to sex trafficking. They argued that Ventura and Jane were strong, independent women who voluntarily took part in the sexual performances because they wanted to please Combs. Both women testified they spent time with Combs and took part in sexual performances after he beat them. Defense lawyers argued that Ventura and Jane were retrospectively accusing Combs of forcing their participation in the performances because they were jealous he was seeing other women. "If he was charged with domestic violence, we wouldn't all be here," Combs' defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo said in his closing argument on June 27. "He did not do the things he's charged with." RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY Besides Ventura and Jane, jurors also heard testimony from Combs' former personal assistants who said their jobs included setting up hotel rooms for "Freak Offs" and buying their boss drugs. An InterContinental security guard testified that Combs, in the presence of his chief of staff, paid him $100,000 to hand over what he thought was the only copy of the surveillance tape of his attack on Ventura. And Scott Mescudi, the rapper known as Kid Cudi, told jurors Combs was likely involved in an arson on his car after Combs found out he was romantically involved with Ventura. According to prosecutors, those were all acts Combs and his associates undertook in furtherance of a racketeering conspiracy whose aim was, in part, to facilitate his abuse and keep evidence of his wrongdoing under wraps. The defense argued Combs was a successful entrepreneur who used drugs recreationally, but kept his professional and personal lives separate. Combs has been held in federal lockup in Brooklyn since his September 2024 arrest. REUTERS
