Actress Charlize Theron provided a clarification after saying that AI could replace Timothée Chalamet in 10 years in the movie business. She made that statement in a recent interview with The New York Times, responding to Chalamet’s earlier claims that performing arts like opera and ballet have become less relevant. Now, in a recent interview, she stated that she might have gone too far with her earlier prediction.
Theron admits she went too far with Chalamet’s AI replacement prediction
Speaking with Variety at the premiere of her new Netflix film Apex, Theron walked back her previous remarks, stating that she was “talking out of my a–.” She acknowledged that predicting AI’s impact on acting is uncertain, adding that no one can confidently say where the technology will be in a decade.
“Honestly, I talked out of my a–. I don’t know what’s going to happen in ten years, okay? Nobody does,” she said. The Hollywood superstar further claimed that the magic of live performance will be difficult to replicate by AI, noting that advanced robots cannot bring authenticity.
Theron referred to Misty Copeland’s onstage performances to drive her point home. “But I assume that a living, live performance would be hard [to replicate]. And then someone’s like, ‘There’s a dancing robot in Hong Kong—but he’s not Misty Copeland,” she said.
Earlier, in the New York Times interview, Theron said that AI could potentially do an actor’s job within 10 years, but would never replace live performers on stage. “Oh, boy, I hope I run into him one day. That was a very reckless comment on an art form, two art forms, that we need to lift up constantly because, yes, they do have a hard time,” she said.
“But in 10 years, AI is going to be able to do Timothée’s job, but it will not be able to replace a person on a stage dancing live,” she added. Theron’s comments seem to emphasize that, although opera and ballet face significant challenges, they would survive the upcoming AI wave, with performers being able to keep their jobs.
However, she suggested that movie actors could face uncertainty, as technology has advanced to the point that their likenesses and talents could be replicated. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how the AI surge will affect the Hollywood industry. What is your take on the entire row and Theron retracting her stance?
