James Cameron is looking back at “The Terminator,” as a prescient warning for the current state of artificial intelligence (AI). In a recent interview with CTV News, Cameron clarified his stance about AI. He fears the weaponization of AI just as shown in The Terminator series. With the current state of AI, the possibility has come out of the realm of sci-fi.
“The Terminator,” released in 1984, starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as a cyborg assassin sent back in time to kill the mother of the future resistance leader. In the film, AI plays a central role, and Cameron believes it should have served as a cautionary tale for society. “I warned you guys in 1984, and you didn’t listen,” Cameron said in the interview.
AI is a pivotal issue in the ongoing strike by SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists). The strike centers around concerns about the use and ownership of digital likenesses of actors, particularly in relation to AI.
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Cameron anticipates that weaponization of AI can lead to a global arms race akin to nuclear proliferation. There are going to be dire consequences and no easy way of de-escalation. “You could imagine an AI in a combat theater, the whole thing just being fought by the computers at a speed humans can no longer intercede, and you have no ability to deescalate,” the academy award winning director added.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, who played the lead in Cameron’s The Terminator praised Cameron’s foresight in depicting the rise of AI in “The Terminator.” He highlighted how the movie’s depiction of self-aware machines has become a reality today. He sees relevance in the concern and apprehension regarding AI.
The strikes raise important questions about the ethical usage of AI technology within the entertainment industry but these questions are not bound by the industry. Concerns around AI is a global and cross-industrial phenomenon where millions of people stand to lose employment.
