Horrifying To Me: James Cameron Rejects Idea Of AI Replacing Actors As Tilly Norwood Sparks Industry Backlash

One thing is for sure, James Cameron will never cast Tilly Norwood in a film. The director of The Terminator recently reflected on how, even long before the rise of generative artificial intelligence,

some Hollywood insiders believed he planned to replace actors with computer graphics while developing the first Avatar in 2005. Recalling those early misconceptions, Cameron, during a recent interview with CBS’ Sunday Morning, said, “For years, there was this sense that, ‘Oh, they’re doing something strange with computers and they’re replacing actors,’ when in fact, once you really drill down and you see what we’re doing, it’s a celebration of the actor-director moment.” For Cameron, performance capture and visual effects were never about diminishing human presence — they were about amplifying it.

However, with generative AI rapidly entering the filmmaking ecosystem, the director has drawn an even firmer line. According to him, the idea that technology could fully substitute a performer, is deeply unsettling. “Now, go to the other end of the spectrum, and you’ve got generative AI, where they can make up a character,” Cameron added. “They can make up an actor. They can make up a performance from scratch with a text prompt. It’s like, no. That’s horrifying to me. That’s the opposite. That’s exactly what we’re not doing.”Also Read: Avatar Fire And Ash Director James Cameron On Thought Of Generative AI REPLACING Actors: That's Horrifying...There has been a rising tension in the entertainment industry over the use of AI in cinema. In September, comedian and producer Eline Van der Velden unveiled an AI performer named Tilly Norwood at the Zurich Summit. At the presentation, Van der Velden revealed that her team had already received interest from multiple talent agencies. However, the claim immediately set off alarm bells across Hollywood.The debut sparked swift and widespread backlash from industry leaders, many of whom see AI performers as a direct threat to creative labour, artistic authenticity, and job security. Yet despite the criticism, Van der Velden remains convinced that artificial intelligence will continue to embed itself into filmmaking.