Almost four decades after the release of the iconic 1984 film, Arnold Schwarzenegger declared that The Terminator was “no longer fantasy or any more futuristic” when discussing artificial intelligence.
Schwarzenegger, at an event in Los Angeles, more fully in People. voiced concerns about the AI this week before considering where it fits into Terminator.
“We’re talking about the machines becoming self-aware and taking control,” Schwarzenegger said, adding that by the time the film was made, humans had “scratched the surface of the AI.”
“Now it has become a reality over the decades. So it’s no longer fantasy or futuristic in any way. It’s here today. And this is the extraordinary writing of [“The Terminator” director] Jim Cameron.”
Schwarzenegger’s comments come months after Cameron expressed his hopes on a December episode of the Smartless podcast to put an emphasis on AI in a future “Terminator” movie.
“If I were to do another ‘Terminator’ movie and maybe try to re-launch the franchise that’s currently being discussed but nothing decided yet, I would be much more focused on the AI side than evil robots gone mad,” he said.
Schwarzenegger on Wednesday hailed Cameron as an “extraordinary writer” and director, then added that he would happily take credit for the film.
“I have nothing but appreciation for the character I played and the way I played her,” the actor said.
“But I mean, he created this character. He wrote it so well, he wrote the movie so well, and that’s why, you know, he’s the number one director in the world.”
The actor told The Hollywood Reporter in May that while the “Terminator” series isn’t finished yet, he’s done with it.
“I got the message loud and clear that the world wants to move on to another topic regarding the Terminator. Someone must have a great idea. The Terminator was a big part of my success, so I’ve always loved watching it,” he said of the franchise.