Producer says AI is a tool, not a replacement for actors
Lahoucine Grimich says cinema can adapt to changing viewing habits through a financing ecosystem linking streaming, public support and cinemas.
Film producer Lahoucine Grimich has rejected the idea that artificial intelligence will replace actors or human beings, describing the technology as a tool rather than an existential threat to cinema.
Speaking to Eve Irvine in an interview published by France 24, Grimich acknowledged that viewing habits have changed significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic. He argued, however, that cinema is adapting rather than facing an existential crisis.
Grimich said streaming platforms, public support and theatrical exhibition should not be treated as competing forces. In his view, they can operate as an interconnected financing ecosystem while allowing cinema to retain the big screen.
He pointed to the French model as an example of adaptation, saying it showed how different forms of support and exhibition could work together.
Grimich also described filmmaking as a form of cultural sovereignty. He said films help societies recognise themselves and create what he called “new imaginaries”, extending cinema’s role beyond entertainment.
