GoKawiilFilmmaker Steven Spielberg, who directed a 2001 film called AI, says he's never used artificial intelligence to make a film, but doesn't seem completely opposed to the idea.
"I am for AI in many different disciplines," he said in front of a live audience at the South by Southwest Festival and Conference in Austin on Friday. "I am not for AI if it replaces a creative individual."
Spielberg was being interviewed by Sean Fennessey of The Ringer's podcast The Big Picture. Spielberg last came to SXSW in 2018 for an activation event and premiere screening of Ready Player One.
Fennessey began the interview asking about Spielberg's earliest memories of film and went on to discuss the filmmaker's experiences as a moviemaker, parent and space-alien enthusiast.
Spielberg said that, so far, AI hasn't been used in any of his films or TV projects. But he stopped short of ruling out the possibility of using AI sometime in the future.
"All the seats are occupied" in his writers' rooms, he said. "There's no empty chair with a laptop on it."
The subject of technology, which has permeated Spielberg's work, including the movie Minority Report, came up several times during the talk. The filmmaker said he's kept up to date on current events through his children and grandchildren, but avoids social media entirely because he simply doesn't have the time.
He tried Instagram for two weeks.
"I had missing time as if I had been abducted by aliens," he said.
Aliens haven't reached out to the E.T. director
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