Demi Moore says resisting AI is a ‘losing battle’; Guillermo del Toro blasts claims ‘art can be done with a f***ing app’

Demi Moore has said Hollywood’s fight against artificial intelligence is a “battle we will lose,” urging the film industry to adapt to the technology instead of resisting it.

Speaking ahead of the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival, where she is serving as a jury member, the 63-year-old actor said AI’s presence in filmmaking is unavoidable.

“AI is here. And so to fight it is, in a sense, to fight something that is a battle that we will lose,” Moore told reporters on Tuesday. “To find ways in which we can work with it is a more valuable path to take.”

The Oscar-nominated actor, known for films such as Ghost and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, also questioned whether the entertainment industry is doing enough to safeguard itself from the risks posed by AI.

“Are we doing enough to protect ourselves? I don’t know. And so my inclination would be to say probably not,” she added.

Moore earned her first Oscar nomination for The Substance after the film premiered at Cannes in 2024. This year, she returns as one of nine jurors tasked with selecting the winner of the Palme d’Or on May 23.

While Cannes does not permit generative AI-created films in competition, the role of AI in cinema has emerged as a major topic of debate at this year’s festival.

Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro also criticised the growing influence of AI during the festival’s opening day. Returning to Cannes for a 4K restoration screening of Pan’s Labyrinth, del Toro warned against the idea that art could be replaced by technology.

“We are, unfortunately, in times that make this movie more pertinent than ever because they tell us everything is useless to resist, that art can be done with a f***ing app,” he said.

The 79th Cannes Film Festival opened on Tuesday and will run for 12 days before concluding with the Palme d’Or ceremony on May 23.

This year’s jury is headed by South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, known for Oldboy and No Other Choice.