Sylvester Stallone defends AI and believes it is “here to stay”
Sylvester Stallone has defended the use of artificial intelligence in filmmaking, saying it is “here to stay” and that the industry cannot stop its advance. He argued that creators who refuse to engage with the technology risk being left behind, while acknowledging that the creative community has legitimate moral concerns.
Stallone recalled proposing an AI-assisted Rambo prequel in which he would appear as the character at 18, but studio bosses instead cast the younger Noah Centineo. Speaking on The Overlap, he suggested combining human and AI performances and noted that people are already selling their images, predicting there could eventually be 20 Elvis avatars. His comments follow Eli Roth’s admission that generative AI was used in a small portion of scenes in Ice Cream Man.
In short
- Stallone says AI is here to stay in filmmaking.
- He proposed using AI to portray a younger Rambo.
- He accepts creators’ moral concerns but says the technology will advance.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
AI could give filmmakers new ways to tell stories, preserve or reimagine performances, and combine human acting with digital tools. Since the technology is advancing, engaging with it may help creators shape how it is used and avoid leaving artistic opportunities to others.
The case against
Using AI to recreate or alter performers raises serious questions about consent, ownership, compensation and the value of human creative work. Even where it offers practical or artistic possibilities, creators may reasonably worry that normalising synthetic performances will weaken safeguards and make it harder to protect their images and livelihoods.
Explained simply
Artificial intelligence can produce or alter images, voices and performances, giving filmmakers new ways to create scenes or portray younger versions of actors. Its use in films has raised questions about consent, control over performers’ likenesses and how much creative work should be done by people.
Sylvester Stallone is an American actor and filmmaker best known for playing Rocky Balboa and John Rambo. Noah Centineo is an actor who was cast as a younger Rambo in a proposed prequel, while director Eli Roth has also discussed using generative AI in a film.
The debate matters to actors, writers, studios and audiences because AI could change how films are made and whose performances appear on screen. It also touches on who owns or can sell a person’s image, and how viewers can tell when a performance has been digitally created.