At the South by Southwest festival in Austin, legendary director Steven Spielberg offered a clear stance on artificial intelligence in filmmaking: he hasn't used it yet. In a wide-ranging interview with The Ringer's Sean Fennessey, Spielberg explained that while he sees value for AI in other fields, he draws the line at letting it replace human creativity.

"All the seats are occupied in my writers' rooms," Spielberg stated. "There's no empty chair with a laptop on it." He hasn't employed AI in any of his projects to date but left the door open for future, non-creative applications.

The conversation naturally turned to extraterrestrials, given his upcoming film 'Disclosure Day' this June. Spielberg, who has shaped pop culture's vision of aliens for decades, joked about his own lack of cosmic contact. "I haven't even had a close encounter of the first or second kind. Where's the justice in that?" he asked, adding with a laugh, "If you're listening out there, I'm talking to you!"

He remains fascinated by the subject, citing recent documentaries and public discussions, and holds a "strong sneaking suspicion that we are not alone."

Spielberg, who avoids social media after a brief, time-sucking experiment with Instagram, confirmed he has no plans to retire. He teased a new project—a Western he intends to shoot in Texas, promising it will defy genre expectations. His final verdict on the script? "It kicks ass."

Source: CNET