Steven Spielberg says he’s ‘never used AI’ in any of his films
Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg spoke out against the use of AI technology in creative endeavors in an interview at the SXSW conference in Austin on Friday. When asked how he saw the usefulness of AI as part of the filmmaking process, Spielberg said, “I’ve never used AI in my films,” to which the audience erupted with cheers and applause.
The director/producer/screenwriter, who became a household name for blockbusters like “Jaws,” “ET,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and many others, isn’t necessarily anti-technology. His own films depict worlds full of technology, for both good and bad, such as ‘Minority Report’, ‘Ready Player One’ and of course ‘AI Artificial Intelligence’, to name a few.
At SXSW 2026, Spielberg said he didn’t want to rant about AI, noting that he was in favor of the technology “in many disciplines,” but in his writers’ rooms, even on TV, “there isn’t an empty chair with a laptop in front of it.” This means that he does not outsource creativity to the machine.
“I am not in favor of AI if it replaces a creative individual,” he said.
Of course, someone like Spielberg might not need AI assistance. AI startups are pitching themselves to indie filmmakers with limited resources. Elsewhere, big names in the streaming world are also looking to use AI. Amazon said this year it is testing tools for AI in film and TV production, and Netflix acquired Ben Affleck’s AI film company earlier this month for a reported $600 million.
