James Cameron is willing to use generative AI for the next Avatar films "as long as we stay within the ethical boundaries" 

James Cameron has expressed a carefully measured openness to using generative artificial intelligence in future installments of the Avatar franchise, but only under strict ethical conditions that safeguard human creativity and innovation. Even though he sees how AI might make parts of filmmaking faster, Cameron insists machines won’t take over acting, creativity, storytelling, or directing.

Speaking on Q with Tom Power while promoting Avatar: Fire and Ash, Cameron reflected on the extraordinary time and technical demands involved in bringing the universe to life. Film by film, the journey spanned multiple years, each one stretching what visuals could achieve. Still, progress never slowed down, always reaching further than before.

“Now, does generative AI play a role in that? It may well, as long as we stay within the ethical boundaries of never replacing the actors, never replacing the artists, never replacing me as a director, or the writers.”

Still, Cameron admitted his own life right now is affecting how he thinks about the rest of the movie series. He mentioned wanting faster ways to get movies made while maintaining their quality. Cutting down on the length of each film could save a significant amount of money, which helps keep things moving forward.

“I don’t wanna spend another [eight] years on two more Avatar films in my life at the age of 71. So I wanna figure out how to do them faster, which will make it cheaper.”

---

Avatar: Fire and Ash: Context for James Cameron’s AI comments

"Avatar: Fire and Ash" - European Premiere - Source: Getty

His comments arrive amid broader industry debates over the use of artificial intelligence in film and television. As generative AI advances rapidly, many creatives have raised concerns about job security, ownership of performances, and the erosion of artistic labor. Firm in his position, Cameron leans toward new ideas yet holds back if values or originality are at risk.

Still, he admitted that incorporating AI into major movie projects presents significant challenges. In his view, today's common generative AI systems aren’t built to match the intricate pipelines already in place for top-tier visual effects work.

“That’s a bit of a tall order right now because the generative AI tools are not really designed to integrate into the conventional VFX workflows. We would have to make them,” Cameron said.

To meet the demands of this level project, Cameron suggested that entirely new, custom-built AI tools would likely need to be developed.

“We'd have to create them,” he added.

Speaking up, Cameron added that major technology companies driving AI innovation tend to prioritize business analytics, healthcare, or consumer novelty applications rather than professional-grade tools tailored for cinematic storytelling.

''The big companies that are pushing all this stuff are just interested in business-to-business models. They’re not professional tools for entertainment.”

Starting back in 2009, the first movie got things off to a slow start. Then came a big pause before the next one arrived, Avatar: The Way of Water, in 2022. Not too far ahead, another chapter titled Avatar: Fire and Ash was released on December 19, 2025. After that, two additional films are penciled in for 2029 and later in 2031.

---

Also read: "I've got other stories to tell" : James Cameron wants to venture out of Avatar films.

Edited by Toshali Kritika