George Lucas Gives Honest Thoughts on AI, Test Screenings

By Shawn Kirk on 2026-07-15 in George Lucas
In a recent interview with A Rabbit's Foot, George Lucas firmly embraced generative AI, stating that it makes moviemaking "much easier". He likened the resistance to AI in Hollywood to clinging to horses and buggies over cars, emphasizing that the technology is inevitable progress and "the future". When addressing industry fears, Lucas argued that rejecting AI because it breaks down or carries risks is useless, as it is simply the next step forward in cinema technology.

Addressing the risks of deepfakes and misinformation, Lucas stated that AI is actually the solution, noting that AI can detect fakes and trace where content came from much better than humans can. He believes that using AI doesn't absolve creators of consequences; he stressed that humans remain responsible for what they say and do, and illegal actions using the technology should be punished.

In the same interview, Lucas took a sharp dig at the modern Hollywood studio system's reliance on focus groups and test screenings. He argued that studios take the wrong message from audience feedback and "let the audience actually make the movie" instead of trusting passionate filmmakers with a story. Lucas believes the audience doesn't actually know what they want to see, pointing out that even his most controversial characters and concepts were things fans eventually grew to appreciate over time.


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Comments...

Last 10 comments - ( Read All Posts )
RobertD - 2026-07-16 @ 5:28 pm

The more I think about it, the more I suspect I'd have liked the prequels more if a robot had written them. Maybe even directed.

Jscott991 - 2026-07-16 @ 12:31 pm
9 hours ago, Frozentenderloin said:

It is kind of interesting because I remember not too long ago people used to hate on the Star Wars prequels a lot, but in recent years I have noticed that there has been a shift towards people praising them, especially on internet web forums and stuff. Idk if the Disney sequels have played a factor in that, since those now seem to be the larger target of hatred now, but it is interesting how people have had a change of heart over time.

The Disney sequels certainly increased love for the prequels. The Clone Wars TV show also made people look at Anakin and Obi Wan a little differently.

But the prequels are really awful movies. People who are suddenly praising them are mainly doing so to make a point about the Disney movies. Jar Jar Binks? Child Anakin destroying the droid control ship by accident? The endless Senate scenes? The convoluted plot to kill Padme? The diner scene (for me, this is the strangest and dumbest scene in all of Star Wars)? Padme and Anakin's scenes on Naboo? CGI Yoda dueling? And that's just plot points from the first two movies. Let's not even discuss the overuse of CGI (which makes them very hard to watch on modern TVs), the weird blocking and pacing of the movies, and the overall bizarre writing. (It's odd that an animated TV show that was hard to even find before Disney Plus came around has much better writing than three movies that consumed almost all of Lucasfilm's time and effort.)

So by all means dislike the Disney movies. But let's not forget the true quality of Lucas's last movies.

Frozentenderloin - 2026-07-16 @ 3:01 am

It is kind of interesting because I remember not too long ago people used to hate on the Star Wars prequels a lot, but in recent years I have noticed that there has been a shift towards people praising them, especially on internet web forums and stuff. Idk if the Disney sequels have played a factor in that, since those now seem to be the larger target of hatred now, but it is interesting how people have had a change of heart over time.

As far as AI goes, I agree with what he is saying. It is like saying artists cant use Adobe Illustrator or Procreate because the image was made in a computer. A human artist still guided that computer in how to arrange those lines. AI has the capacity to be used in the same sense, as computer tool guided by a human to help produce something. It sort of boils down to how filmmakers choose to use the tool and whether or not they allow it to stifle human creativity as apposed to aid it.

RobertD - 2026-07-15 @ 11:43 pm
8 hours ago, ShawnDK said:

...pointing out that even his most controversial characters and concepts were things fans eventually grew to appreciate over time.

Is that what happened? Because I think there's a difference between accepting an unchangeable reality and appreciating it.

Jscott991 - 2026-07-15 @ 5:19 pm

Lucas is right on almost everything he is saying here.

But Jar Jar Binks has not aged well and has not become something I've grown to appreciate over time.

obs - 2026-07-15 @ 3:50 pm

100% on both counts.

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