Reese Witherspoon says artificial intelligence in Hollywood must not be feared amid actor backlash

Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon has stated that the arrival of Artificial Intelligence products into Hollywood must not be feared by actors.

While many unions and major stars, including Keanu Reeves, Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johansson, have spoken out about studios and production companies replacing talent with computer generated content, Witherspoon has a different stance.

The actress and film company boss feels that actors need to learn about the technology and take control of how studios are trying to replace them on screen.

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Reese Witherspoon shares take on AI technology in Hollywood

Reese spoke out on the topic at The Paley Center for Media

Witherspoon, who runs her own successful production company, says that audiences will be served up less TV and film content in the future as Hollywood cuts cost amid profit issues and increased overheads following the actors strike.

Speaking on Friday night, April 12th, at The Paley Center for Media at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Witherspoon said: “AI is here to stay so just get used to it. AI is not coming for your job. People who know how to use AI are coming for your job. So learn about it. Figure it out. It should be a tool upon which we layer our own creativity, our own humanity and our own ethics. We need to have our say. It is important for women, people of colour and others sometimes in those developmental spaces really need to get in there, because we really need to have a platform and consciousness represented. So let’s not be scared of it. Let’s dive in. Let’s lean in.”

Witherspoon, 48, has enjoyed success as a screen star and producer for her firm Hello Sunshine making hits like Big Little Lies. She feels that Hollywood is shrinking and following the strikes and diminishing studio earnings, audiences will get less film content in the future.

Reese says that actors should not fear AI technology

She continued: “Being able to be precognitive about what audiences are doing and watching and where is a full time non stop job. We are competing for eyeballs with social media. I think young people are consuming much more on socials than they are traditional. And it is also inside out business too. Streaming was like the biggest thing for three to four years of this never ending constant snatch for content. And literally you could sell anything.

“And now it is not post strike. What I am seeing now, from the buying and selling landscape side of it, is that part of the strike was a reset for the studios that were non profitable and streaming services. It was an opportunity for them to resize and rework and cut costs. So we are going to probably see less stuff., which is probably good. It was just chaos.

Reeses thoughts comes as other actors expressed opposite take

“What I really wonder and worry about is – what is the world for artists? Are careers like ours ever possible again? Are there opportunities for people to really emerge as a star? How do we know if something even did well? It is tough as an actor. How do you negotiate? You do not know where you sit in a landscape.”

Witherspoon took the stage with co-stars and show bosses including Karen Pittman (Mia Jordan); Nicole Behaire (Christina Hunter); Charlotte Stoudt, Showrunner & Executive Producer, and Mimi Leder, Executive Producer & Director.

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