French President Emmanuel Macron expressed concern over the risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI) in creative sectors during a summit focused on the future of cinema. The event, called the Lumiere summit, gathered prominent figures from the entertainment industry, including Hollywood star George Clooney and executives from major U.S. studios like Sony Pictures and Disney, in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France.
Macron emphasized the dangers of AI replacing human creators, stating it would be a “tremendous mistake.” South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, co-chairing the summit, echoed these sentiments, advocating for responsible and human-centered development of AI in film. Both leaders pledged to invest significantly in the audiovisual sector, announcing a commitment of one billion euros ($1.15 billion) over five years through the Lumiere Partnership to support independent cinemas and cultural diversity.
The event, attended by representatives from Netflix and TikTok but not by major players like YouTube and Meta, included closed-door discussions between film executives and government leaders. Prominent filmmaker Martin Scorsese called for the preservation of cinema’s heritage, underscoring the need to protect artistic freedom globally.
