George Clooney Says AI Actors Will Face The Same Hollywood Problem - "Making a Star Is Not So Easy"
George Clooney has some strong thoughts on the rise of artificial intelligence in Hollywood, and he’s not exactly optimistic about what’s coming next.
Speaking at the Los Angeles premiere of Jay Kelly at the Egyptian Theatre, Clooney admitted that recent advancements in AI technology have shaken the industry.
“The thing that really rattled Hollywood in general was the Sora 2 stuff. That shook everybody because suddenly the quality was much better and it’s scary,” he said.
“But you know, AI is gonna have the same problem that we have in Hollywood, which is making a star is not so easy. You can’t really describe what makes someone a star, and it’s not looks. It’s something unusual and it’s hard to detect. They’ll have the same problems that we have.”
Clooney’s point hits at the heart of Hollywood’s long-running obsession with star power. Studios can generate perfect faces and voices, but the human spark that makes someone unforgettable isn’t something an algorithm can fake.
That doesn’t mean Clooney isn’t concerned about where this technology is heading. The actor revealed he’s already seen fake AI versions of himself circulating online, and the experience hasn’t been pleasant.
“There’s been some really actually awful ones where they’ve done and said things that I’ve never done and said and put me out there and it’s dangerous,” he said. “It’s dangerous for your family. It’s dangerous. It’s complicated, but the genie is out of the bottle and I’m not quite sure what we’re gonna do.”
Clooney’s concerns come as the industry experiments more aggressively with AI-driven production tools. Eline Van der Velden, the creator behind the controversial AI character Tilly Norwood, said that she’s already collaborating with studios to integrate AI-generated material into movies, and predicts that fully AI-created films are just around the corner.
“I’m sure in the coming year, there’ll be plenty of effects that will be made with AI,” she said. “There’ll be some establishing shots, there’ll be some second-unit shots with AI, and then slowly, we’ll progress to a full AI film. And whether people will pay for an AI film or not — I don’t think they’ll know the difference. It’s good storytelling that will be the reason why people will pay for it or not.”
Van der Velden stirred up controversy earlier this year when she suggested that talent agencies were eager to sign her digital creation.
“As a creative, I have really enjoyed creating her,” she explained. “It’s been just like a writer creating characters. You fall in love with your characters when you’re writing them. It’s a wonderful process. It wasn’t like I just made her in a second, and that was it. You know, it took a long time.”
While AI continues to reshape the entertainment landscape, Clooney reminds us that no matter how advanced the tech becomes, true star quality might always be something only humans can bring to the screen.
Source: Variety