Jon Favreau On AI In Hollywood: ‘I Have A Healthy Concern’

The Mandalorian and Grogu helmer Jon Favreau admits he has “a healthy concern” around artificial intelligence encroachment in Hollywood.

During a conversation with CBS Sunday Morning (view below in full), correspondent Tracy Smith asked the MCU actor and director if he had any worries about technological advancements and AI.

“I have a healthy concern about what might come,” the five-time Emmy nominee responded. “I think each generation faces different challenges around technology; even positive technologies are disruptive. Trying to avoid innovation doesn’t seem to be a winning strategy, but helping to have transparency when using new technologies, understanding as best we could the ramifications of them, really thinking things through and trying to be responsible — I think that’s important.”

Favreau, who said the issue concerns not just the entertainment industry, but all fields, added that, as with all innovations, caution must be employed.

“Life has improved, but there are always unintended consequences if anything novel is embraced without being thoughtful about it and being measured,” the Swingers alum said. “And fortunately there’s all different types of people, and we’re gonna have an ongoing conversation about how these things work their way through, so I think I share most people’s sense that we have a certain responsibility as we move into the next phase of whatever field we’re in.”

He concluded that he likes to “try to stay up on [news regarding AI] as much as I can and try to understand it.”

As AI continues to be a hot topic in film, camps have coalesced around its incorporation, or lack thereof, in creative work. Just yesterday, Seth Rogen made headlines calling it “stupid dog shit” and that people shouldn’t claim to be writers if they use it. Hacks star Hannah Einbinder has similarly slammed those who use it as “losers.” Others, however, like Darren Aronofsky and Natasha Lyonne have openly embraced it, as other stars like Demi Moore, Sandra Bullock and Reese Witherspoon have trumpeted the tech’s inevitability.