Demi Moore says Hollywood has to ‘find ways’ to work with AI
Demi Moore weighs in on the debate over whether Hollywood needs to respond to the growing influence of AI, saying artists need to embrace the technology.
“I always feel like opposition begets opposition,” Moore said during a news conference Tuesday at the Cannes Film Festival. “AI is here. And so fighting it is fighting something that is a battle we’re going to lose. So finding ways to work with it. I think that’s a more valuable path to take.”
She added: “Are we doing enough to protect ourselves? I don’t know the answer to that question. And so my inclination would be to say probably no.”
Moore is in Cannes as a member of the French film festival jury, alongside “No Other Choice” director Park Chan-wook, “Hamnet” director Chloé Zhao and fellow actor Stellan Skarsgård. The last time Moore attended the festival was for the Oscar-winning body horror film “The Substance,” in which she plays an aging actress desperate to recapture her youth.
The fear that AI will replace jobs is real across many industries, from food delivery workers to entry-level tech positions. And in Hollywood, it’s unclear to what extent AI will impact productions. Last year, the introduction of the world’s leading AI player, Tilly Norwood, sent shockwaves through the industry.
Since the digital character’s debut, Tilly has only appeared in a music video from her creator’s production studio, Particle 6. The robot has yet to appear in any Hollywood projects, but the creators have said her synthetic universe will continue to expand.
Most recently, SAG-AFTRA said it secured stronger AI guardrails in its new tentative contract, including new guidelines that govern how studios should use generative AI and that heavily favor “human performance.”
But Moore also said there is “nothing to fear” about the rise of AI, as it can never replace the source of “real art.”
“It comes from the soul,” Moore said. “It comes from the minds of each of us sitting here, each of us who creates every day. And that they will never be able to recreate through something technical.”
Moore isn’t the only Hollywood veteran who believes film and AI can work together. In 2022, actor Ben Affleck launched his AI film technology company, InterPositive, after focusing on AI in film production. He sold the startup to Netflix in March. The company is focused on developing AI-driven tools designed by filmmakers and using new technologies to expand creative decisions.
