Brad Pitt has entered into the debate surrounding AI, arguing that it could be a good “tool” for the movie industry.
The veteran actor and Oscar winner gave his thoughts on the controversial subject in a new interview with Esquire. “There’s a lot of pushback against AI,” he acknowledged, “but AI is going to be the very thing that, if used as a tool, is going to help these mid-budget films, $40 to $90 million-budgeted films, get made.”
He was, however, more hesitant about it being used to replace actors. “Well, it depends on who’s creating it, you know? Who’s behind it, who’s telling the story,” he said. “Who’s saying, ‘I want to see this emotion from him,’ and then being able to mine through whatever AI provides and going, ‘More in this direction,’ and tailoring it in that way. So they could, but the final product might not be my choices and what I found and discovered in the thing.”
He also spoke about the use of generative AI in music. “I heard an AI song the other day that was pretty damn good,” he said. “But it had a repetitive nature to it. It’s not going to be the same as hearing her voice—a woman’s voice, a person’s voice.”
AI has been a divisive topic in Hollywood, Backrooms director Kane Parsons, Guillermo Del Toro, and Pope Leo XIV condemning the use of the technology. Conversely, Martin Scorsese, Neill Blomkamp, and Jodie Foster have all endorsed or used AI in their forthcoming projects, receiving criticism from some quarters for their support.
Recently, Star Wars creator George Lucas spoke about AI, claiming there’s “nothing you can do about” its rise, but said that human creativity should still be at the heart of the process. “Whatever you do, you should be recognised. It’s just like real life.”
In response, SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin asked Lucas and others to “speak carefully” about AI in future.
