Sandra Bullock appeared at the CNBC Changemakers Summit alongside Warner Bros. Pictures co-chair and CEO Pam Abdy and was asked about the intersection of Hollywood and AI. The Oscar winner said the industry needs to lean into it.
The topic of AI came up when moderator Julia Boorstin noted all the AI-generated fan trailers that have been circulating for “Practical Magic 2,” which Bullock stars in and produces for Abdy’s Warner Bros. The movie is set to open in theaters this fall.
“I know it’s not great, but it’s also exciting, because that means that there’s a desire for it and that means that people want to come and play with the movie. And that’s exciting,” Abdy said about the AI trailers.
When asked if it’s “weird” to see people using AI to recreate her image, Bullock quipped: “Well, there could be worse [things] with my image!” She then said on a more serious note: “But it’s here. We have to observe it. We have to understand it. We have to lean into it. We have to use it in a really constructive and creative way, make it our friend rather than — I mean, we have to be incredibly cautious and aware of it because there are people who will use it for evil and not good. But I do feel that there’s a place for it… it’s here. We have to just be friends in some dark way.”
Abdy agreed with the “Practical Magic” star, saying: “We have to acknowledge it, we have to understand it, and we have to look at it. I think we have to look at it as a tool and on the production side as a tool. How is it going to be used to help us make movies better for the filmmakers? For the people who, the storytellers, it has to be a tool for the storytellers.”
“It’s evolving every single day,” Abdy added. “It’s moving very rapidly. And I just think we as a community have to, again, like Sandra said, acknowledge it, understand it, learn about it and move forward.”
Bullock’s comment echoes similar sentiments shared by Reese Witherspoon in recent days. “The Morning Show” star generated some backlash on social media for posting a video this month urging women to start leaning how to use AI tools.
“The AI revolution has begun, and I need to learn as much as I possibly can about AI and share it with all of you,” Witherspoon told her followers. “Also, FYI: the jobs women hold are 3x more likely to be automated by AI, yet women are using AI at a rate 25% lower than men on average. We don’t want to be left behind. So…do you want to learn with me?”
Bullock’s “Practical Magic 2” opens in theater Sept. 18.
