AI investor Jeffrey Katzenberg says resisting AI is pointless. The Hollywood executive turned tech investor wrote a lengthy essay on X titled The World is Changing: AI For Creativity, arguing that people need to embrace artificial intelligence rather than fight it.
Katzenberg’s essay draws on his experience on both sides of the technology debate. He acknowledges growing fear and resistance within the creative community, a sentiment he understands after working closely with artists and seeing the hours poured into the creative process. But he frames that resistance as a repeat of past reactions to new tools, not a warning about where AI might lead.
Katzenberg’s Warning About Resistance
Katzenberg opens his essay with a blunt warning. “To resist technology is to risk irrelevance,” he wrote on X.
He then compares today’s AI backlash to earlier industry shifts that changed the craft entirely. He points to the introduction of sound in movies as a precedent, noting that it replaced many human jobs at the time. His argument is that technology expands the canvas rather than diminishing the craft. “Technology didn’t diminish the craft, it expanded the canvas,” he said, justifying such advancements. “It gave artists more room to create.”
The comparison is telling. Sound in film was once a threat to musicians who worked in live cinema. Today it is part of the medium. Katzenberg wants creators to see AI the same way.
The Craft Argument
Katzenberg’s central claim is that AI is not a replacement for human creativity. It is a tool that extends it. He writes about artists he knows and the hours they put in, but he frames AI as a way to expand what they can do, not to replace them.
His essay is pitched directly at creatives who fear the technology. He understands their fear, but he wants them to see the bigger picture. The essay itself is a public statement of position, and it lands hard on the idea that resistance is not an option.
The Precedent of Sound in Film
Katzenberg’s example of sound in movies is the core of his argument. He notes that sound replaced many human jobs when it arrived. That is the part of the story that worries people today.
But his point is that the craft survived. Artists found new ways to work. The technology changed what the work looked like. That is the pattern he wants creatives to recognize in AI.
“Technology didn’t diminish the craft, it expanded the canvas.”
What the Essay Offers
Katzenberg’s essay is a public statement from someone who has seen change before. He has worked through major shifts in the industry, and he believes AI is following the same path. The fear is natural, but it is also temporary.
His argument rests on history. Sound replaced jobs in film, and the craft survived. AI will likely follow the same pattern. The technology will change the canvas, but it will not diminish the value of the work.
The Bottom Line From Katzenberg
Katzenberg’s essay is a call to action. He is asking creatives to stop resisting and start embracing. The world is changing, and AI is part of that change. Resisting it is not an option, he argues.
His argument rests on history. Sound replaced jobs in film, and the craft survived. AI will likely follow the same pattern. The technology will change the canvas, but it will not diminish the value of the work.
The essay is a reminder that change is coming regardless of what anyone thinks. Katzenberg’s view is that the best response is to accept it and find new ways to use it. He is not arguing that AI is harmless. He is arguing that fighting it is pointless.
Katzenberg’s message is simple: the world is changing, and AI is part of that change. The choice is whether to shape the change or let it shape you.
See the video the story is built around at The A.V. Club.
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