‘Titanic’ and ‘Avatar’ VFX Innovator Robert Legato Joins Stability AI; Reteams With James Cameron, a Board Member
‘Avatar’ VFX Legend Robert Legato Embraces AI as a Creative Partner, Not a Threat
Robert Legato, the Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor behind Avatar and The Jungle Book, is the latest Hollywood heavyweight to publicly back AI — but not in the way you might expect.
In a panel hosted by Stability AI at SXSW 2025, Legato spoke about using AI tools to accelerate his creative process and explore new ideas, describing it as “collaborating with someone more talented than me.” Rather than fearing AI’s impact on jobs, he highlighted how it can supercharge creative exploration and eliminate friction in early concepting.
“It’s not a threat,” Legato said. “It’s an opportunity to get to the good stuff faster.”
The VFX veteran stressed that the most valuable part of AI is its ability to remove the limitations of traditional production - freeing artists to focus on vision, not logistics. In particular, he cited AI’s ability to generate environments, camera angles, and lighting ideas at incredible speed, allowing filmmakers to iterate more in pre-production and stay truer to their creative intent.
Stability AI’s execs echoed this sentiment, positioning their tools as part of a broader movement to democratize visual storytelling - giving creators of all levels access to high-quality production tools that were once locked behind studio budgets and pipelines.
Legato, who has worked extensively with James Cameron, said the legendary director is also intrigued by AI’s potential to “bring ideas to life” faster — not to cut corners, but to deepen storytelling.
“Joining Stability AI is an incredible opportunity, and I couldn’t be more excited to help shape the next era of filmmaking,” Legato says. “With dynamic leaders like Prem Akkaraju and Jim Cameron driving the vision, the potential here is limitless. What excites me most is Stability AI’s commitment to filmmakers — building a tool that is as intuitive as it is powerful, designed to elevate creativity rather than replace it. It’s an artist-first approach to AI, and I’m thrilled to be part of it.”
Why This Matters for Marketers
For marketers, Legato’s perspective unlocks a powerful mindset shift: AI isn’t just about speed — it’s about scale of imagination. With the right tools, teams can visualize campaigns, environments, and concepts without being slowed down by production bottlenecks or budget constraints. AI becomes your creative partner - not just generating assets, but helping shape ideas in the earliest stages. Just as top directors are using it to prototype and pitch faster, marketers can use AI to iterate on campaign directions, test moodboards, or mock-up video storyboards - all before a single dollar is spent on production.
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