Oscar winner Cotillard says she would be ‘afraid’ if an AI actor ever moved her emotionally

French actress Marion Cotillard poses on the red carpet to promote the film ‘Milo’ (or ‘7h40 ce matin-la) during the 74th San Sebastian International Film Festival in the northern Spanish Basque city of San Sebastian September 24, 2026. — AFP pic

First Published: Friday, 25 Sep 2026 1:23 PM MYT

SAN SEBASTIAN (Spain), Sept 25 — French actress Marion Cotillard said yesterday she feared the day she might be emotionally moved by an actor created by artificial intelligence, as debate grows over AI’s impact on film and the wider creative industries.

“I think I would be very afraid the day I was moved by an AI actor. For now, I find that they act like potatoes, and that reassures me,” the 50-year-old Oscar winner told reporters at the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain.

Cotillard, who won the best actress Oscar in 2008 for her portrayal of French singer Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, said she wondered whether AI actors could eventually become convincing enough to fool audiences.

“I wonder if one day that will happen, if one day I would be fooled by an actor,” she said. “I have to admit that it’s something that makes me think and that can frighten me.”

Cotillard is in San Sebastian for the world premiere of Nicole Garcia’s 7h40 ce jour-là, which is competing for the festival’s top prize.

She plays Alice, a former revolutionary activist who is released after 20 years in prison and attempts to reconnect with her son.

“After spending 20 years in prison, the only thing she really has left is not her desire for revolution, but the fact that she is a mother,” Cotillard said.

A total of 17 films are vying for the top awards in the official section of festival, which wraps up tomorrow. — AFP