Nicolas Cage has taken a strong stance against the use of artificial intelligence in acting, warning that it leads to a "dead end" for performers. During his acceptance speech for the best actor award at the Saturn Awards for his role in *Dream Scenario*, Cage expressed his concerns about AI's impact on the authenticity of art. "I have to thank Kristoffer Borgli for his direction, his writing, his editing, and for creating this incredibly disturbing but hilarious world that he dreamt up," Cage began, before shifting focus to the broader issue of AI. "But there is another world that is also disturbing me. It’s happening right now around all of us: the new AI world. I am a big believer in not letting robots dream for us. Robots cannot reflect the human condition for us."
Cage emphasized the dangers of allowing AI to manipulate performances, suggesting that such actions compromise the "integrity, purity, and truth of art" in favor of financial interests. He argued that the essence of art, particularly in film, is to mirror the human condition through a deeply human process of recreation—a task he believes robots are incapable of achieving. "If we let robots do that, it will lack all heart and eventually lose edge and turn to mush. There will be no human response to life as we know it. It will be life as robots tell us to know it. I say, protect yourselves from AI interfering with your authentic and honest expressions."
Cage's sentiments echo those of other actors, particularly in the voice acting community, where AI has already been used to recreate performances, notably in high-profile video games. Voice actors like Ned Luke from *Grand Theft Auto 5* and Doug Cockle from *The Witcher* have criticized AI for potentially robbing them of income. While actors have largely united against AI, filmmakers have mixed views. Tim Burton has labeled AI-generated art as "very disturbing," whereas Zack Snyder believes filmmakers should embrace AI rather than resist it.
