Isabelle Huppert on AI replacing actors: 'Still my face on screen'
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Veteran French actress Isabelle Huppert says she has not yet felt threatened by artificial intelligence replacing her on screen, offering a measured but optimistic take on one of cinema's most debated anxieties. Her remarks came at the press conference for director Marc Fitoussi's comedy 'All About Corinne' at the Busan International Film Festival, where the film is screening in the prestigious Gala Presentation section.
What Huppert Said About AI
Speaking candidly at the festival, Huppert addressed the growing fear among actors that AI-generated likenesses could erode their livelihoods. 'It really is me acting. So I haven't yet been threatened, confronted with that admittedly grim prospect. So far I've seen that it's still my face on screen, and I hope that continues,' she said.
The actress drew a historical parallel to contextualise her relative calm. She compared AI anxiety to earlier existential fears in the entertainment industry — that cinemas would disappear or that vinyl records would be made obsolete — only for both to prove more resilient than predicted. 'Maybe I'm wrong to be optimistic, I don't know,' she added, acknowledging the uncertainty without dismissing it.
A Lighthearted Moment at Busan
Huppert also had a playful exchange at the press conference, joking about her newly discovered Korean: 'I didn't know I spoke Korean. I just know how to say 'annyeonghaseyo' (hello).' The remark drew warmth from the Busan audience, underscoring the actress's ease in international settings — a quality built over more than five decades of global filmmaking.
Next Project: A Dario Argento Film
Huppert confirmed an upcoming collaboration with Italian horror maestro Dario Argento, saying, 'I'm very happy about it. I think it will be some time next year.' No further details about the project were disclosed. The pairing of Huppert with Argento — one of genre cinema's most distinctive voices — is notable given her own history of working with provocative auteurs.
A Career of Fearless Collaboration
Over a career spanning more than five decades, Huppert has worked with some of cinema's most demanding filmmakers, including Claude Chabrol, Michael Haneke, and Paul Verhoeven. Her credits include 'The Bedroom Window', 'Amateur', 'I Heart Huckabees', 'Louder Than Bombs', and 'Greta', among many others. She won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama) for 'Elle' and received an Academy Award nomination for the same film in 2017. This comes amid a broader industry conversation around AI rights that intensified following Hollywood strikes in recent years, making Huppert's voice on the subject particularly timely.