In a major coup for the artificial intelligence company, Stability AI says that Avatar, Terminator and Titanic director James Cameron will join its board of directors.
Stability AI is the firm that developed the Stable Diffusion text-to-image generative AI model, an image and video-focused model that is among those being closely watched by many in Hollywood, particularly in the visual effects industry.
In fact, Stability AI’s CEO, Prem Akkaraju, is no stranger to the business, having previously served as the CEO of visual effects firm WETA Digital. Sean Parker, the former president of Facebook and founder of Napster, also recently joined the AI firm as executive chairman.
As a director, Cameron has long been eager to push the boundaries of what is technologically possible in filmmaking (anyone who has seen the Terminator franchise also knows that he is also familiar with the pitfalls of technology run amok).
He was among the earliest directors to embrace the potential of computer-generated visual effects, and he continued to use his films (most recently Avatar: The Way of Water) to move the entire field forward.
“I’ve spent my career seeking out emerging technologies that push the very boundaries of what’s possible, all in the service of telling incredible stories,” Cameron said in a statement. “I was at the forefront of CGI over three decades ago, and I’ve stayed on the cutting edge since. Now, the intersection of generative AI and CGI image creation is the next wave. The convergence of these two totally different engines of creation will unlock new ways for artists to tell stories in ways we could have never imagined. Stability AI is poised to lead this transformation. I’m delighted to collaborate with Sean, Prem, and the Stability AI team as they shape the future of all visual media.”
In a statement of his own, Akkaraju framed the role as a transformative one for the company, which is among a number of firms attempting to harness the power of generative AI for use in creative fields.
“James Cameron lives in the future and waits for the rest of us to catch up,” Akkaraju said in a statement. “Stability AI’s mission is to transform visual media for the next century by giving creators a full stack AI pipeline to bring their ideas to life. We have an unmatched advantage to achieve this goal with a technological and creative visionary like James at the highest levels of our company. This is not only a monumental statement for Stability AI, but the AI industry overall.”
Stability AI raised $80 million earlier this year, in conjunction with the appointment of Akkaraju as CEO, and the addition of Parker as executive chairman.
“James Cameron is a legend, both for his artistic vision as a filmmaker and his role as a pioneering technologist,” Parker added in a statement. “Having an artist of his caliber with a seat at the table marks the start of a new chapter for Stability AI. We’re incredibly excited by the limitless potential for creative collaboration between generative media platforms and the artistic community.”
Hollywood has a love-hate relationship with AI technology. On the one hand, companies are embracing the tech, with Lionsgate inking a deal this month to work with Runway to develop custom models trained on its content. And NBCUniversal used AI tools to create an AI-generated Al Michaels during this year’s Paris Olympics.
On the other hand, many creatives and Hollywood firms have either sued or threatened to sue some AI companies over fears that they trained their models on their content without permission.