Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg spoke out against the use of AI technology in creative endeavors during an interview at the SXSW conference in Austin on Friday. When asked how he viewed the usefulness of AI in the filmmaking process, Spielberg replied, “I have not used AI in any film yet,” and the audience cheered and applauded.
The director/producer/screenwriter who has become synonymous with blockbuster films like “Jaws,” “ET,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” etc. is not necessarily anti-technology. His films have imagined a world filled with technology for both good and evil, including ‘Minority Report’, ‘Ready Player One’, and of course ‘AI’.
At SXSW 2026, Spielberg said he didn’t want to rant about AI, noting that he supports the technology “in a variety of fields.” But in his writers’ room, even on TV, “there’s not an empty chair with a laptop in front of him.” That means he doesn’t outsource creativity to machines.
“I don’t support AI if it replaces creative individuals,” he said.
Of course, someone like Spielberg might not need AI assistance. AI startups are marketing themselves to indie filmmakers with limited resources. Elsewhere, big names in streaming are also looking to leverage AI. Amazon said this year it was testing AI tools in film and TV production, and earlier this month Netflix said it had acquired Ben Affleck’s AI film production company for $600 million.
