The esteemed Cannes Film Festival, renowned globally as a crucial hub for cinematic discourse, has this year seen artificial intelligence emerge as the undisputed topic du jour. The 79th iteration of the festival is poised to be remembered as the event where the world's most prestigious film festival first confronted the pervasive onset of AI, which has swept through the French Riviera like a tsunami. An ongoing debate regarding AI's potential to redefine the movie industry, for better or worse, has resonated since the festival's opening, with many within the industry beginning to adopt a more nuanced perspective.

Scott Mann, co-chief executive of Flawless, a company specializing in assistive AI programs for post-production, observed, "The buzz in Cannes and the buzz in the industry, it does feel like it's definitely a turning point." AI's presence is palpable, both on screen and in official partnerships. For the first time, Cannes has collaborated with Meta in a new multiyear agreement, with the tech giant establishing a significant presence at the Majestic Hotel. Notably, Meta's AI tools played a role in producing a festival entry: Steven Soderbergh’s documentary, “John Lennon: The Last Interview.” This film explores an extensive and profound interview Lennon and Yoko Ono granted on the tragic day Lennon was fatally shot in 1980. Soderbergh employed Meta’s AI programs to craft surreal graphics, enhancing the visual narrative to complement Lennon’s conversation.

While Soderbergh's decision drew considerable criticism from many Cannes critics, the highly innovative filmmaker, known for shooting movies on iPhones, firmly believes in the necessity of 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 in an interview. He further pondered, "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."

The debate surrounding AI has drawn opinions from across the spectrum of filmmakers, actors, and other industry figures at Cannes. On opening day, juror Demi Moore expressed a pragmatic view, stating that fighting AI "is a battle we will lose." The following day, honorary Palme d’Or recipient Peter Jackson echoed a similar sentiment, remarking, "I don’t dislike it at all. To me, it’s just a special effect. It’s no different from other special effects." Filmmaker James Gray, whose acclaimed family drama “Paper Tiger” garnered significant attention, voiced his lack of concern. Gray commented in an interview, "In some cases, it can be a very helpful tool." He added, "I don’t think in our lifetime, or even our children’s lifetimes, it will come close to mirroring the only true infinite we know, which is the soul." Gray also emphasized the importance of humanities, suggesting, "The answer I think is that most young people should be studying the humanities. People should be reading Tolstoy in their spare time to understand the human soul."

The discussions at Cannes unfold against a backdrop of significant new developments concerning AI within Hollywood. Earlier this month, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled new guidelines, stipulating that only performances "demonstrably performed by humans with their consent" would be eligible for acting nominations. Concurrently, the Oscar group clarified that AI tools would "neither help nor harm the chance of a nomination." The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) also recently reached a tentative agreement with studios, meticulously detailing and clarifying AI guardrails for aspects such as the use of digital replicas and synthetic performers.

Certain advancements in AI have sent ripples of apprehension through Hollywood. The introduction of Tilly Norwood, an entirely AI-created "actress," ignited widespread outrage across the industry. Earlier this year, the initial glimpse of a posthumous AI resurrection of Val Kilmer, realized for a film with his family’s consent, sparked another intense round of debate. Yet, while the more extreme applications of generative AI continue to provoke concern, other iterations are steadily gaining traction. Kent Sanderson, CEO of Bleecker Street, stated in a panel discussion, "It is going to be a part of our business. It is going to lower production costs, and yes, you probably will be able to make something that looks like a Marvel movie in your basement in a couple of years."

Despite Cannes' strict dress code for its red carpet, the festival has, for now, refrained from issuing any decrees banning AI from film selections. The day before the festival commenced, Cannes’ artistic director Thierry Frémaux offered a wry response to a question about AI, humorously noting that he had also heard James Cameron utilized special effects for “Avatar.” Frémaux unequivocally stated, "What I can say with certainty in relation to artificial intelligence is that we are on the side of the artists, the screenwriters, actors and voice actors. We stand with everyone whose job could be negatively impacted by artificial intelligence. It requires legislation. We need to control this."

Scott Mann of Flawless, positioned on the Cannes beach outside a party hosted by his company, reflected on their efforts since 2019 to demonstrate the thoughtful application of AI. He unequivocally labels unlicensed generative AI as detrimental. "But what we’ve found is that the way people don’t understand is part of the problem. AI as a term is seen as a catchall, but it’s not that simple," Scott explained. He concluded with a hopeful outlook: "The truth is, our industry needs saving. It needs a technological evolution, and this is offering it."