James Cameron tried to warn us about the dangers of artificial intelligence through his action-packed and borderline prophetic Terminator franchise, but did we heed his words? No, we did not. Every day, we see new and alarming headlines about the advancement of AI, making Judgment Day more likely as computer programs continue to learn and teach one another in a fast-moving world of information exchange. In addition to working on Avatar 4 and prepping his WWII war drama Ghosts of Hiroshima, Cameron is quietly working on a secret Terminator project. As exciting as this is, Cameron says he’s finding it difficult to plot a concept more concerning than real-world headlines concerning the trajectory of AI.
Speaking with CNN (via The Playlist) about Ghosts of Hiroshima, Cameron touched on his Terminator progress, admitting that the current state of AI is making it challenging to develop a plot more intense than reality.
“I’m at a point right now where I have a hard time writing science fiction. I’m tasked with writing a new ‘Terminator’ story. I’ve been unable to get started on that very far because I don’t know what to say that won’t be overtaken by real events. We are living in a science fiction age right now,” Cameron said about the difficult task of writing a Terminator script worthy of the franchise’s reputation and relevance.
We know little about Cameron’s Terminator project, mostly because he keeps returning to the drawing board. Will it be a sequel to 2019’s Terminator: Dark Fate, or something else entirely? Will he direct? Does he base the story on new or existing characters? Your guess is as good as ours.
As artificial intelligence advances, the threat of losing control of everyday tools and online spaces becomes more real. In addition to using AI to collect political data and determine military strikes, AI is steadily replacing jobs in the video game development industry, YouTube influencer culture, music, film, and more. Given his place as one of the movie industry’s more tech-savvy filmmakers, James Cameron keeps his finger on the pulse. If anyone can craft a plot about the threat of artificial intelligence, it’s him.
Do you have any ideas for another Terminator movie? Do you think James Cameron will crack the code? Let us know in the comments section below.
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