May 13, 2026

Demi Moore says fight against AI is 'a battle that we will lose'

WATCH: Artificial intelligence and Hollywood

Demi Moore is weighing in on the debate over artificial intelligence's place in the arts.

Moore spoke at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday, encouraging Hollywood to engage with the emerging technology.

"AI is here," she said at a press conference. "And so, to fight it is to, in a sense, to fight something that is a battle that we will lose."

Moore said there were "beautiful" aspects of working with AI and encouraged finding "ways in which we can work with it."

"The Substance" actress's comments come as AI continues to make inroads in the world of entertainment. From AI "actress" Tilly Norwood to the AI recreation of the late Val Kilmer for the film "As Deep as the Grave," some entertainment creatives are engaging the technology in unprecedented ways.

In March, Netflix announced it was acquiring Ben Affleck's film technology company, which "develops AI-powered tools built by and for filmmakers," according to a press release.

Moore is far from the first advocate calling for others to be more open to AI in Hollywood.

Actress Sandra Bullock recently advocated for AI understanding at the CNBC Changemakers Summit.

"We have to lean into it," Bullock said at the time. "We have to use it in a really constructive and creative way, make it our friend."

She added, "We have to be incredibly cautious and aware of it, because there are people who will use it for evil and not good."

Reese Witherspoon also told social media followers recently, "I think it's time to learn about AI."

Steven Zeitchik, senior editor for technology and politics at The Hollywood Reporter told "Good Morning America" in an interview, "You're starting to see more actors start to embrace AI, albeit in a cautious way."

He continued, "But it's still the exception, not the rule. I think a lot of actors are still a little bit worried. They wanna see how it shakes out."

The risk of AI encroachment on the creative world still appears to be at the forefront of many stars' minds. Taylor Swift and Matthew McConaughey have both filed trademarks to protect their likeness as AI technology advances, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences renewed its Oscar eligibility rules to more carefully consider the role of "human authorship" in each nominated project, and to ensure performance nominees are limited to roles that were "demonstrably performed by humans with their consent."

Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday, Moore addressed the risks of generative AI, adding, "Are we doing enough to protect ourselves? I don't know. My inclination would be to say probably not."

She added that the technology, while novel, "can never replace is what true art comes from, which is not the physical."

"It comes from the soul," she said.