Karla Sofía Gascón stars in “Emilia Pérez.” (Page 114/Why Not Productions/Pathé Films/Netflix/TNS)
It is no secret that AI is seeping into all aspects of life, but one area that has caused particular discourse is film. Many are questioning the ethics of using AI in film and debating whether or not films using AI deserve to be awarded.
If you asked me a few years ago if I saw AI being used in film I would probably laugh in your face, yet in 2025 films such as “Emilia Perez” and “The Brutalist” are dominating in award shows. Both of these films used AI to “enhance” certain aspects, mainly pertaining to vocals/accents.
“Emilia Perez” seems to be taking most of the flack of the two films, mainly due to the fact that it is a musical that relied on AI in order to assist its titular lead in achieving a higher vocal range.
On the surface, this may not seem to be such an issue. The entire purpose of AI is to make our lives easier, so it’s easy to see why some may not view these “small” usages of AI as a simple embellishment here and there. I don’t view these usages as small at all.
Frankly, this sort of use of AI comes off as a cheap cop-out that takes away from the effort and talent that makes films so great. It goes back to many of the concerns from the writer’s strikes in 2023 regarding the lack of regulations of AI in Hollywood and its potential to consume many human roles.
If we look at the case of “The Brutalist”, AI was used as a last resort after many failed efforts to perfect some of the cast’s Hungarian accent. It’s not impossible to see that this could easily become a first choice as AI is increasingly normalized.
It feels uncomfortable to praise a performance such as Adrien Brody’s in “The Brutalist” knowing others such as Bill Skarsgård in “Nosferatu” dedicated himself into perfecting the voice required of him for his film.
Even if it is truly impossible to get an accent down, many agree that they would rather hear an imperfect performance than something aided by AI.
What is especially insidious of this recent AI invasion in film, though, is how it is so clearly being pushed by many in Hollywood.
The many wins of “Emilia Perez”, for example, came as a shock to anyone who’s been paying attention to recent film releases. The top phrase at the Golden Globes this year was likely “snubbed.”
The only way I can rationalize this overwhelming sweeping of awards is that there is a statement that wants to be made. I don’t think it’s far off to assume that Hollywood’s trying to test the waters in what it can get away with in the realm of AI.
It certainly creates a looming feeling towards the future of Hollywood and the film industry. AI can easily get rid of many jobs as it matures and make films lose that human essence.
I find that it’s important to remain vigilant of this infiltration of AI. Its current use in film could be considered insignificant, but it can quickly become a pipeline that turns the industry onto its head.
Film is something integral to culture and society; it reflects our reality and gives us a voice. It is a collaborative effort of love and dedication. AI will only serve to strip the soul of this process.
At one point does innovation become a cash grab that overpowers storytelling?