AI goes to the movies: Does technology kill creativity?

The Debate

Once a year, movie fans from near and far flock to the French Riviera resort of Cannes to catch a glimpse of their favourite celluloid stars: real stars, in the flesh. They've always seemed larger than life – particularly on a big screen –but now, in the age of virtual reality, what exactly is real? These days, what still resonates as authentic in the make-believe world of cinema?

The Hollywood actors and screenwriters' strike of 2023 was in large part about technology encroaching on artistic creation: stealing the hard work of some, pushing others out of a job. So, is artificial intelligence good or bad for movies and movie making?

And what about the spectator? What kind of demand exists in the digital age? And with so much of the planet spending hours a day already on screens, how is that changing not just film but humanity as a whole?

Produced by Rebecca Gnignati, Elisa Amiri, Annarosa Zampaglione.