Steven Spielberg says he has ‘never used AI’ in any of his films

Legendary filmmaker, Steven Spielberg, criticized the use of AI technology after it was used to create interviews at the SXSW conference in Austin on Friday. When asked how he felt about the use of AI as part of filmmaking, Spielberg said, “I have never used AI in any of my films,” as the audience roared with cheers and applause.

The director/producer/photographer, who became a famous name for blockbusters such as “Jaws,” “ET,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and many others, is not against technology, really. His films that imagine worlds full of technology, good and bad, such as “Minority Report,” “Ready Player One,” and, of course, “AI Artificial Intelligence,” to name a few.

At SXSW 2026, Spielberg said he didn’t want to talk about AI, saying he was an expert “in many ways,” but in his writers’ rooms, even on TV, “there’s not an empty chair with a laptop in front of him.” In other words, they are not releasing the skill to the machine.

“I’m not for AI if it replaces the human designer,” he said.

Of course, someone like Spielberg wouldn’t need AI help. AI startups are reinventing themselves for underpowered indie filmmakers. Elsewhere, the big names in streaming are also looking to use AI. Amazon this year said that experimental AI tools for film and TV productionand Netflix earlier this month found Ben Affleck’s AI film company has been reported $600 million.