From Skeptic to Supporter: Shifting Views About Generative AI and Its Role In Our Work

Who better to weigh in on the current and impending state of artificial intelligence (AI) than someone who has been boldly pushing boundaries and essentially living in the future since 1978? James Cameron.

From Terminator to Avatar (yes, Titanic, too), Cameron is no stranger to telling depressing dystopian stories. In 2023, amidst the SAG-AFTRA strike, he even agreed that artificial intelligence is a major risk to humanity as we know it.

“I warned you guys in 1984,” he said, “and you didn’t listen.”

OK, so maybe that doesn’t come as a surprise given the plot of Terminator.

What is a surprise is how he has begun embracing the possibilities of the technology. Recently, he joined the board of directors for a leading artificial intelligence startup, Stability AI, which offers a host of innovative models, including text-to-image and text-to-video.

But why the change of tone?

Bridging the Gap

As concerned as he made himself seem about AI and the spooky things it may or may not become capable of doing, Cameron has breathed boundary-pushing technology for decades. Let’s be real: The original Avatar film, which came out in 2009, had groundbreaking VFX. It had no business looking as stunning as it did for the period it was released.

Oh, and he’s also traversed to the bottom of the planet’s deepest depth in a highly engineered and technologically advanced one-man submersible; so, there’s that. The man loves technology!

So, maybe it’s not a surprise that he caved — or craved — what the world’s most innovative tech since the advent of the internet (according to many) could do for his already innovative art.

In an interview with CNBC, Cameron says that traditional VFX is now a highly mature art form, in which he’s been involved for some 36 years. Generative AI, on the other hand, works in a completely different way, which he says has created a gap between the two worlds. This space between tradition and innovation is precisely where he and Stability AI want to be.

Generative AI and Marketing: What Gives?

What does any of this have to do with marketing? Well, we think there’s something to be said of Cameron’s so-called change of heart, deciding to embrace certain aspects of artificial intelligence instead of casting a shadow of doom and gloom.

James Cameron wants to exist in that gap between expertly honed human craft and inventive new technology, using it as a means to amplify our innate creative abilities. Stability AI even has a roster of taglines that convey the same idea about using artificial intelligence to support human creativity, not replace it: “Activating humanity’s potential through generative AI.”

We think that’s a great mindset — for marketers or anyone who’s still skeptical about the technology.

No, Gen AI has no business taking over roles and specialties humans have spent years cultivating. We don’t think James Cameron wants that — he’s a world-class filmmaker, after all. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. Integral components of any craft shouldn’t be completely replaced if we can do anything about it.

The idea is the same in marketing. Unique talents such as content writing and copywriting fall directly in generative AI’s current line of fire. That’s a scary situation, especially for those who work directly in those roles and rely on their talent to make a living. That said, the doomsday mindset just isn’t productive in our opinion.

Thankfully, marketers are beginning to see the value of AI tools and what they can add to their martech stack. Many are starting to understand that it’s here and isn’t going away, and are shifting their attitudes toward it accordingly. In fact, the majority of marketing leaders in 2024 have not placed a company-wide ban on the technology. Does that mean they’re embracing it? Not necessarily, but it’s a great start and a good sign — and we bet James Cameron would agree.

He seemed a skeptic at first, but his passion for innovative tech eventually drew him in. So, he endorsed Stability AI and joined its board. But will Avatar 3 be completely AI-generated? We’re not counting on that. Might they use the technology to create stunning visuals that transcend what his previous installations in the series accomplished? Probably. Augmentation, not elimination.

The Future of AI In Marketing: We’re Not Nose-Diving To Challenger Deep Depths

Whether artificial intelligence develops a metallic volition and takes over everything and everyone, we’ll see. But how it exists now, there’s incredible value to find, and people — including marketers — are beginning to dig it up. Most technology exists to help us solve problems, and AI is no different.

Humans face all kinds of challenges, especially in creative disciplines. We hit ceilings and roadblocks; we experience writer’s block and blank-page syndrome. Until very recently, the only way to deal with these obstacles was to either wait it out or do some creative exercises to break through. And yes, there’s immense value in doing those things, but in a world as fast-paced as marketing, there isn’t always time.

This is precisely where AI algorithms in marketing come in handy: as a tool and not a totem of truth that completely invalidates your talented team’s skills and capabilities.

Consider this:

AI models can generate a wide range of creative ideas for marketing campaigns; help you beat that blank page syndrome. Does it have to concoct the whole campaign? No — and it shouldn’t. But those AI-generated ideas can spark inspiration; reveal new angles. Afterward, it’s up to you, the human, to refine, curate and execute.

James Cameron directs his movies, but I’ll be damned, he’s using the best technology in the business to deliver his vivacious visions to the world — and generative AI is what’s next in our technological evolution. He knows that; that’s why he’s on an AI board now. And it’s also why we think marketers should continue climbing aboard AI … now!

Final Remarks

Imagining a world devoid of all creativity and capability at the hands of robots is scary — really scary. That’s probably why it’s taken a while for people to start accepting AI as a viable tool. I mean, in a worst-case scenario, a sentient AI undercover as a human goes on a bloodthirsty rampage.

James Cameron said himself he’s worried about how humans will weaponize AI, and that’s a valid concern. Pioneers and engineers of the technology should exercise caution in that regard.

But the tools out there that are available to use right now aren’t going to sprout crimson-red eyes. They simply stand to make our lives a little easier and, our businesses, a little more efficient and cost-effective.