Artificial intelligence tsunami hits Cannes Film Festival sparking fierce debate

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The 79th Cannes Film Festival became a global forum for the film industry’s most pressing concerns, with artificial intelligence emerging as the dominant topic, its arrival felt like a “tsunami” on the French Riviera. The technology’s potential to reshape cinema, for better or worse, sparked intense debate from the outset, though a softening of tone was observed in many circles.

Scott Mann, co-chief executive of Flawless, a company specialising in assistive AI for post-production, noted: “The buzz in Cannes and the buzz in the industry, it does feel like it’s definitely a turning point.” Indeed, AI’s presence was palpable both on and off screen. Signifying this shift, Cannes forged a new multi-year partnership with Meta, which established a significant presence at the Majestic Hotel. Crucially, Meta’s AI tools were deployed in a festival entry: Steven Soderbergh’s John Lennon: The Last Interview.

Steven SoderberghAP Photo/John Locher

The documentary, which centres on a profound interview Lennon and Yoko Ono gave on the day of Lennon’s 1980 assassination, saw Soderbergh utilise Meta’s AI programmes to generate surreal graphics, complementing Lennon’s conversation. While the creative choice drew scorn from many critics at Cannes, Soderbergh, a renowned innovator known for shooting films on iPhones, defended the need for such experimentation. “We haven’t seen yet someone with a certain amount of creative credibility go full-metal AI on something, and see how people react. I think it’s necessary,” Soderbergh stated. “How do you know where the line is until somebody crosses it? I don’t think what I’m doing crosses it. Some people may disagree. I don’t know where my line is yet. I’m waiting to see.”

Filmmakers, actors, and industry figures across the festival offered diverse perspectives, either embracing or cautioning against the technology. Opening day saw juror Demi Moore declare that fighting AI “is a battle we will lose.” The following day, honorary…

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