Tom Cruise says AI is inevitable but it won’t mean the end of cinema: “People want to see real things”

Tom Cruise has weighed in on the AI debate in Hollywood, saying that human creatives must “keep creating”.

The legendary Hollywood star is a proponent of the traditional methods of making movies, insisting on shooting his own stunts with minimal CGI, and being a vocal supporter of the theatrical experience. In the last two instalments of his Mission Impossible franchise, the enemy he faced off against was an advanced AI called The Entity, playing on societal fears that AI could be misused to replace or endanger humanity.

Speaking at a BAFTA “Life in Pictures” conversation in London on Monday (September 21), he was asked about the incoming technology and his thoughts on its use. “You know, it is coming and it’s going to happen,” Cruise replied (via Variety). “But people want to see real things.”

Tom Cruise is in the capital promoting his new film Digger, which arrives in cinemas on October 2. The new film sees him play an eccentric, elderly Billionaire who embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is the saviour of humanity.

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AI has long been a divisive topic in Hollywood, with Backrooms director Kane Parsons, Guillermo Del Toro, and Pope Leo XIV condemning the use of the technology. Conversely, Martin Scorsese, Neill Blomkamp, Brad Pitt, 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. In response, SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin asked Lucas and others to “speak carefully” about AI in future.

Tilly Norwood, the AI “actor” marketed by its creators as a legitimate film star, appeared to short-circuit during a recent panel interview with Piers Morgan, speaking Cantonese randomly at one point during the discussion.