Cate Blanchett expresses ‘deep concern’ over AI’s impact

Cate Blanchett has recently shared her apprehensions about artificial intelligence (AI) during an interview with the BBC.

Speaking with Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, the acclaimed Australian actress voiced her unease about technological advancements like robots and driverless cars. "I look at these things and wonder what value they're bringing to anyone," she remarked.  

Blanchett, 55, was promoting her latest film, "Rumours", an apocalyptic comedy centred on a group of world leaders stranded in a forest. She noted, "Our film feels like a light-hearted documentary compared to what's happening in the real world."  

When asked if AI posed a threat to her profession, Blanchett expressed less concern for actors specifically and more for its broader societal implications. "I'm worried about humanity as a whole; it's a much bigger issue," she said, describing the threat of AI as "very real." She highlighted its ability to replace individuals entirely: "With just a few seconds of recorded audio, anyone's voice can be replicated."  

The two-time Oscar winner, known for her roles in "The Aviator" and "Blue Jasmine", criticised AI advancements as "experimentation for its own sake." While acknowledging the creative potential of AI, she warned of its destructive capabilities, adding, "Creativity can be beautiful, but it can also be incredibly harmful."  

In "Rumours", Blanchett portrays the German Chancellor hosting a G7 summit, but she clarified that the characters are not modelled on real-life politicians. "I deliberately avoided that because audiences will bring their own interpretations," she said.  

Director Guy Maddin explained his approach to the film's political themes, emphasising that the characters' ideologies and motivations are left intentionally ambiguous. "Audiences tend to project their own lessons or messages onto films, and I wanted to keep that open-ended," Maddin stated.  

Initially crafting the characters from a place of "sheer contempt," Maddin observed that as the plot unfolds and absurd events escalate, "you start to empathise with them." Blanchett added, "They stop being politicians very quickly as the systems propping up their authority dissolve. What's left is their lack of self-awareness—reflecting the artificial nature of their detachment from the real world."  

Drawing a parallel with actors, Blanchett noted that politicians too are often "infantilised and indulged by the system."