Tom Cruise applauded for anti-AI speech at BAFTA event

Tom Cruise earned applause at a BAFTA event in London after eulogising the power of art over AI.

Speaking at a BAFTA: Life in Pictures event at the organisation's Piccadilly headquarters, Cruise reflected on his screen career and was asked about how AI technology will disrupt the medium he loves.

The Top Gun star delivered a monologue about the need for human craft in filmmaking, Deadline reports.

"There is nothing like human," Cruise opined, before elaborating in an answer that touched on camera lens technology and cinemas vs. streaming. He relayed how a blockbuster summer at cinemas, including engagement from young audiences, shows that "people want human experience".

"What you put attention on, you give life," Cruise told an audience made up of BAFTA members. "People wanna see real things."

Cruise has previously spoken about artificial intelligence during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA negotiations, during which the actor pushed for protections concerning the technology. He has repeatedly emphasised the importance of people in filmmaking.

The BAFTA event was staged to mark his upcoming movie, Digger. The Jerry Maguire star described the film as "one of the most original and moving" films he has ever worked on.

It stars Cruise as an oil baron named Digger Rockwell, who is charged with saving the day to avert an environmental catastrophe he caused in the first place.

The film will be in cinemas from 2 October.