Pixar Cofounder Ed Catmull: The Smartest AI-Era Career Move Is to Help Build What Comes Next

The AI Revolution Is Here—Are You Engaging or Standing on the Sidelines?

Pixar cofounder Ed Catmull, 81, has a clear message for anyone worried about AI: don't sit it out. In a recent interview with Higgsfield AI CEO Alex Mashrabov, Catmull shared the mindset he believes creatives—and all professionals—need as technology reshapes their industries.

"The main piece of advice is, besides learning the craft, it's that things are coming whether we like it or not, and our best act is to engage fully with it," Catmull said. "And we engage by learning the craft, adding to it, working with the tool makers and with the artists and forming what it is."

Turn Frustration into Innovation

Catmull points out that when filmmakers hit AI's limitations, their frustrations can actually point the way to the next breakthrough—because someone will eventually build a solution.

"That's how we move forward," he added.

A Career at the Forefront of Tech

Catmull's perspective comes from decades of experience. In 1979, he joined Lucasfilm to lead its computer division, developing technology for the film industry. In 1986, Steve Jobs bought the division and established it as an independent company, Pixar, with Catmull as a cofounder and president.

Having spent his career at the forefront of computer animation, Catmull says major technological shifts always have two sides: they create new possibilities while also bringing new problems.

"We'll have the same thing here without a doubt," he said. "But it will get adapted because I do know that there are legitimate filmmakers who accept the fact that if you engage with the technology as it develops, you help form it."

Lessons from the Internet Era

Catmull likens AI to the rise of the internet and social media.

"When the internet first came out, the term you heard was it's going to democratize information. It's true. It did. It also democratized disinformation," he said.

That's simply "the nature of the beast," and he expects AI to be no different.

"Our question is: Where are we on the side? Where are we, in terms of engaging, developing it, and moving towards things which are of great use?" he said.

The Takeaway for Your Career

Catmull's advice comes as workers grapple with whether using AI will help them stay competitive or put their jobs at greater risk. Some worry they are training their own replacements, while others fear AI deskilling—where overreliance on AI erodes judgment and problem-solving skills, especially for early-career professionals.

But Catmull's message is clear: the smartest career move is to help build what comes next. Engage with AI, learn its limitations, and work alongside tool makers and artists to shape its development. By doing so, you not only stay relevant—you become part of the solution.