'There Is Nothing Like Human': Tom Cruise Applauded at BAFTA Event After Delivering Anti-AI Speech

Tom Cruise was applauded at a BAFTA event in London after defending the value of human creativity in filmmaking while discussing the growing impact of artificial intelligence on Hollywood.

Speaking at a BAFTA: Life in Pictures event at the organisation's Piccadilly headquarters, Cruise was asked about AI's potential impact on the film industry. The Top Gun star responded with an extended defence of human craft and the experience of watching films in cinemas.

'There is nothing like human,' Cruise said during his remarks.

He acknowledged that artificial intelligence is becoming part of the filmmaking landscape, saying, 'You know, it is coming and it's going to happen.' But Cruise then turned his attention to what he believes audiences continue to seek from cinema.

'What you put attention on, you give life,' he told the BAFTA audience. 'People wanna see real things.'

Cruise also pointed to the continuing appeal of the cinema experience, including the engagement of younger audiences with major theatrical releases. His comments were followed by applause from the BAFTA members attending the event.

Rather than arguing that AI should be kept out of filmmaking altogether, Cruise's remarks focused on the continuing importance of human creativity and the shared experience of watching films.

Tom Cruise Defends Human Filmmaking Amid AI Debate

Cruise has previously spoken about the implications of artificial intelligence for actors and the wider film industry.

During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA negotiations, he participated in discussions concerning AI and supported protections for performers against the unauthorised use of their likenesses and voices. The negotiations took place as Hollywood's actors sought safeguards over the technology's potential impact on their work.

His latest comments at BAFTA were less about proposing specific restrictions and more about the qualities he believes make filmmaking and cinema distinctive.

The actor's remarks come as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly prominent across Hollywood, with studios, performers and other creative workers debating how the technology should be used and what protections should be in place.

For Cruise, technological advances do not appear to diminish the appeal of human performers and real-world filmmaking. His comments instead suggested that audiences will continue to value experiences that cannot easily be replicated by technology.

That argument was reflected in his emphasis on attention and audience engagement. By saying that 'what you put attention on, you give life', Cruise linked the future of filmmaking to the choices audiences make about the entertainment they support.

Upcoming Film 'Digger' Is Context To AI Message

The BAFTA appearance came ahead of the release of Cruise's upcoming film Digger, in which he plays oil tycoon Digger Rockwell.

Cruise described the project as 'one of the most original and moving' films he has ever seen.

The film follows Rockwell as he attempts to save humanity from an environmental catastrophe he helped unleash. It is due to arrive in cinemas on 2 October.

The theatrical release provides a context for Cruise's comments about the importance of the cinema experience. The actor has remained one of Hollywood's most prominent advocates for seeing major films on the big screen, while the industry continues to grapple with the changing relationship between theatrical releases, streaming and emerging technologies.

At the BAFTA event, Cruise's message was ultimately centred on what he believes audiences still want from movies.

Artificial intelligence may be 'coming', as he acknowledged, but his argument was that technology has not replaced the appeal of human creativity and the experience of seeing something real on screen.