#Arnold Schwarzenegger Says ‘Terminator’ Films Predicted the Future of AI: “It Has Become a Reality”

Arnold Schwarzenegger claims The Terminator franchise, which launched his career in 1984, predicted the future of artificial intelligence.

While speaking at An Evening with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Los Angeles on Wednesday, People reported that the actor talked about how writer-director James Cameron’s theories on AI in the films have “become a reality.”

“Today, everyone is frightened of it, of where this is gonna go,” he said of the controversial technology. “And in this movie, in Terminator, we talk about the machines becoming self-aware and they take over.”

AI is currently at the center of a huge debate in Hollywood and other industries surrounding the technology’s use. It also comes as programs like ChatGPT have risen in popularity across social media.

Schwarzenegger, who plays a cyborg assassin known as a Terminator in the movies, added that “at that time we (had) scratched the surface of AI, artificial intelligence. Think about that.”

“Now over the course of decades, it has become a reality,” he continued. “So it’s not any more fantasy or kind of futuristic. It is here today. And so this is the extraordinary writing of Jim Cameron.”

The actor went on to praise Cameron for his work and the franchise he created, calling him “an extraordinary writer” and “an unbelievable director.”

“This is again, one of those things that I wish I could take credit for this movie,” Schwarzenegger explained. “I can only take credit of the character that I played and the way I played it. But I mean, he has created this character. He has written it so well, he’s written the movie so well, and that’s why he is, you know, the number one director in the world.”

Last month, during his cover story interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Schwarzenegger also opened up about working with Cameron on the films and how the filmmaker actually convinced him to say his now iconic line, “I’ll be back.”

“Cameron and I were debating how to say the line because I was not comfortable with saying ‘I’ll.’ I said, ‘I think it’s stronger to say, ‘I will be back,’” the actor recalled. He said the director then responded, “Are you the scriptwriter now? It’s just one word. Don’t tell me how to write. I don’t tell you how to act.”… “I said, ‘You tell me how to act every fucking minute! What are you talking about?!’”

That was when Cameron explained to the actor that only he thinks the line sounded strange. Schwarzenegger added that the director told him, “‘It doesn’t. What makes it great is that you sound different than me or Charlie over there. That’s what makes it work. So just say it 10 times. Say it different ways. I’ll keep rolling the camera. Then we’ll choose one.’ So they set it up, and I say: ‘(Flatly) I’ll be back … (cheerful) I’ll be back! … (guttural) I’ll beeee baaaack …’ It sounded stupid.”

But once the hit movie came out, and the line became a sticking point with fans, the rest is history.

As for the future of The Terminator, the actor also revealed to THR, “The franchise is not done. I’m done. I got the message loud and clear that the world wants to move on with a different theme when it comes to The Terminator.”