Speaking at a BAFTA “Life in Pictures” event in London on Monday, September 21, Tom Cruise offered a measured response to what many consider the greatest threat facing the film industry: artificial intelligence.
A Measured Response to Industry Fears
Interviewed by host Edith Bowman, who framed the discussion around the Mission: Impossible franchise’s AI villain, the 64-year-old actor appeared relaxed as he addressed the topic. Rather than sounding alarmist, Cruise delivered a six-minute monologue arguing against premature panic.
“You know, obviously it’s going to happen, and it’s happening already. But people will always want to see real things,” said the actor, who has long insisted on performing his own dangerous stunts without doubles or special effects — whether jumping a motorcycle off a cliff, hanging from an airplane, or swimming in freezing water in his underwear.
Creativity as the Answer
To illustrate his point, Cruise cited his upcoming role in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s film “Digger,” for which he wore a costume and prosthetics that required six hours of work in the dressing room each shooting day.
The actor argued that in the face of AI, entertainment professionals “must continue to be ever more creative.” He also emphasized the importance of supporting cinema’s technical crafts — makeup artists, prop masters, costume designers, pyrotechnicians, set decorators, and sound engineers — who contribute to the “realism” he values so highly in film.
The Case for the Big Screen
Cruise further highlighted what he believes elevates human-created works: the experience of watching a film in a theater alongside others.
“I’ll tell you, there’s nothing like the human,” said the actor, who has championed the social experience of cinema for years. He regularly encourages audiences to see films on the big screen, as he did for “Sinners” starring Michael B. Jordan.
Cruise also referenced the historic summer of 2026, when the American box office totaled $4.76 billion in revenue, driven in part by “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “The Odyssey.”
“That’s proof that people want to experience this. They go to the movies for that,” he said. “I’ve always had faith in humanity,” Cruise concluded to enthusiastic applause.
