Action star Tom Cruise spoke about the impact of artificial intelligence on cinema at the “Life in Pictures” event organized by BAFTA in London on Monday, 21 September. Answering Edith Bowman’s question for approximately 6 minutes, Cruise said that nothing could replace human labor or the cinema-going experience. The actor said that people wanted to see real things and experience cinema collectively, adding that the knowledge and skills of workers who had devoted their lives to the industry needed to be preserved.
Cruise’s approach also aligns with his work on Top Gun: Maverick, which stood out for its practical effects and real flight footage. In the final two films of the Mission: Impossible series, the primary antagonist was an out-of-control artificial intelligence. The actor had also advocated protecting actors against artificial intelligence during the 2023 SAG and AFTRA strike negotiations.
Cruise described his new film Digger, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, as one of the most original projects of his career. The film tells the story of Digger Rockwell’s efforts to prevent an environmental catastrophe he caused. Digger will be released in theaters on 2 October and will receive a special screening at Istanbul Modern Art Museum on 29 September.
Why it matters
Cruise’s remarks once again show that the debate over artificial intelligence is linked not only to technical production tools but also to the working conditions of actors and film set workers. This stance from an actor associated with the tradition of practical effects and live-action filming shows that production choices will be assessed alongside the understanding of the cinematic experience. The emphasis on shared viewing in theaters also brings to the fore the question of what audiences expect from cinema as digital tools become more widespread. By contrast, it remains unclear in which areas artificial intelligence will be used and what safeguards will protect workers’ knowledge and skills.
Background
Cruise is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 3 reports mentioning the name in the past 90 days; the latest is dated September 19, 2026.