At a masterclass at the Cannes Film Festival, Tilda Swinton made a clear distinction between artificial intelligence and film, contending that AI is only a real threat when filmmakers stick to the tried-and-true. The actress’s statements come amidst the growing acceptance of AI in films. A recent example of this was Xavier Gens, the director of Netflix’s Under Paris, and his stance on AI’s utility in saving time and money during the production of films.  

Now, Tilda Swinton has given her take on AI’s impact and what the industry’s approach should be towards it.

During a broad discussion led by Didier Allouch at Cannes Film Festival 2026, Tilda Swinton expressed her thoughts on defending cinema from AI. According to her, sticking to films that are bold and non-formulaic is the only way forward. By giving the audience something fresh, something totally new, filmmakers can prevent exhaustion from ever hitting them, and in this way, AI will never have a chance to creep its way into the films.

“What we need to do is what only humans can do: make messy, adventurous experiences so that an audience does not know what’s coming next and enjoys that experience,” she added.

She maintained that the debate was about the inherent cost of boring an audience rather than just streaming vs theaters. Swinton evoked the particular annoyance of a moviegoer who has spent money on transportation, a ticket, and a meal only to realize they have watched the same type of film four times.

She asserted that, as long as it remained in the hands of risk-takers, cinema would endure this period of alleged obsolescence, just as it did with sound, color, television, video, and streaming. She reminded everyone that it is a human business as long as humans remain in charge.

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Tilda Swinton’s masterclass at Cannes also brought with it fresh updates on her upcoming features.

Swinton revealed that she and Apichatpong Weerasethakul are now collaborating on two movies. She co-stars with Jenjira Pongpas, Sakda Kaewbuadee, and Connor Jessup in Jengira's Magnificent Dream, which was revealed last year and is scheduled to be produced in Sri Lanka. 

Additionally, a second project is being developed. It has been two years since she finished a feature. While Tilda Swinton’s statements gave insights on how to avoid a complete takeover by AI in films, it was also a quiet acknowledgment of its established presence constantly trying to corrupt the system in its favor, as also acknowledged by directors like Xavier Gens. 

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