Who cares about Skynet? “The Terminator” director James Cameron is fully embracing artificial intelligence.
Cameron is joining the board of directors of Stability AI, the generative-AI company known for its Stable Diffusion text-to-image generator and Stable Audio, its text-to-audio web application. Stability AI CEO Prem Akkaraju announced Cameron’s position on September 24.
Cameron will assist in helping Stability AI on its mission to transform visual media, and the company certainly likes that he will bring an artist’s perspective to the company. In a statement, Cameron said he believes the intersection between Gen-AI and CGI is the “next wave” for storytelling.
“I’ve spent my career seeking out emerging technologies that push the very boundaries of what’s possible, all in the service of telling incredible stories,” Cameron said. “I was at the forefront of CGI over three decades ago, and I’ve stayed on the cutting edge since. Now, the intersection of generative-AI and CGI image creation is the next wave. The convergence of these two totally different engines of creation will unlock new ways for artists to tell stories in ways we could have never imagined.”
Cameron joins former Facebook exec Sean Parker, who as of June 2024 joined Stability AI as its executive chairman. Parker, who was famously portrayed by Justin Timberlake in “The Social Network,” injected new funding into Stability AI upon joining as the company was strapped for cash.
Cameron cited Parker’s influence, continuing in his statement, “Stability AI is poised to lead this transformation. I’m delighted to collaborate with Sean, Prem, and the Stability AI team as they shape the future of all visual media.”
Stability AI CEO Akkaraju pointed to Cameron’s ability to track the latest technological innovations, as depicted in his sci-fi features and personal research ventures.
“James Cameron lives in the future and waits for the rest of us to catch up,” Akkaraju said. “Stability AI’s mission is to transform visual media for the next century by giving creators a full stack AI pipeline to bring their ideas to life. We have an unmatched advantage to achieve this goal with a technological and creative visionary like James at the highest levels of our company. This is not only a monumental statement for Stability AI, but the AI industry overall. The next frontier in visual media will be forged by a true fusion of artist and technology and Stability AI is leading the charge.”
Executive chairman Parker similarly credited Cameron’s influence on tech, saying, “James Cameron is a legend, both for his artistic vision as a filmmaker and his role as a pioneering technologist. Having an artist of his caliber with a seat at the table marks the start of a new chapter for Stability AI. We’re incredibly excited by the limitless potential for creative collaboration between generative media platforms and the artistic community.”
Cameron was asked about the advent of generative-AI in storytelling back in 2023. The writer/director said that he wasn’t interested in using AI to assist in writing his screenplays and that it was unlikely to “move an audience.” But he acknowledged that if an AI-generated screenplay managed to win an Oscar in 20 years, Hollywood should probably “take them seriously.”
Cameron also clarified in that interview that his real concern with AI is the weaponization of it. So maybe this is an opportunity for him to be Sarah Conner in the war against AI to come.
“I warned you guys in 1984, and you didn’t listen,” Cameron said, referencing his first “Terminator” film. “I think the weaponization of AI is the biggest danger. I think that we will get into the equivalent of a nuclear arms race with AI, and if we don’t build it, the other guys are for sure going to build it, and so then it’ll escalate.”
Alongside Cameron on the board of directors are Dana Settle, co-founder and managing partner of Greycroft; Colin Bryant, COO and general partner of Coatue Management; and Parker, former president of Facebook, who serves as executive chairman.
Stable Diffusion has surpassed 150 million downloads since launching in 2022, but Stability was reported to be dealing with unpaid cloud bills and a cash crunch. The company brought on Akkaraju, who was formerly the CEO of visual effects company Weta Digital (to strengthen the Hollywood ties), as CEO in June.
