Jesse Eisenberg said he will “sometimes experiment with AI” – but it’s just because he’s “testing it to make sure it’s bad.”
The Batman v. Superman and A Real Pain star explained why he finds the rapidly advancing and controversial technology unnerving – and how he deals with it – during a conversation with Variety. As he continues to plant his feet in Hollywood as a talent who can act, write, and direct, AI is something he’s trying to keep his eye on in more ways than one.
“I have a paranoid answer for this,” Eisenberg said when asked if he’s nervous about the technology. “I’m totally paranoid. I sometimes experiment with AI to see whether it’s good at writing. And it’s still not.
“I’m paranoid, so I check and it still isn’t. Thank God. I say, ‘Write a scene like this.’ I’m just testing it to make sure it’s bad, and it’s still bad. So I’m relieved, but, like, how far away is it from being good? How far are we from a kid putting on a pair of goggles and saying, ‘I want to watch a movie about me where I rob a bank and then kiss the girl I’m in love with at school. Here are pictures of her, here are pictures of me’ and then they press play? I’m paranoid about that.”
While figures like George Lucas have supported AI in the past, there are plenty of entertainers who have spoken out against the technology as it has advanced in recent years. Goku’s voice actor in Dragon Ball, Masako Nozawa, blasted those who had used AI to steal her voice for their own use. Nicolas Cage said he’ll “probably not work with” Amazon again after he declined to sign its AI waiver. Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto said Nintendo would prefer to “go in a different direction” when speaking about the topic in September.
Eisenberg elaborated on his approach, saying that there are two saving graces: the power of the creative spirit and art that has stood the test of time. As AI development progresses to new and often intimidating places, these are the things that bring him some peace.
“Creative spirit will find ways to entertain and delight us and speak about things in a way that maybe computers won’t,” he added. “The other thing I think about all the time, and [The Debut star Julianne Moore is] about to go to a play in New York, is that I do these Greek plays, which were written 2,500 years ago and we perform them the same way they were performed 2,500 years ago. If they’ve lasted that long, they’ll still be there.
“People want to be in the same room as other people, watching and listening to stories. It’s as old as cave people sitting by the campfire telling stories, and there will always be room for that. What I do worry about is whether we’ll still be able to make a living from it. I’m not 100% sure about that.”
Eisenberg’s next movie is The Debut, which is set to arrive December 11, 2026. In related news, the moviemaker recently reflected on how winning a Razzie for his role as Lex Luthor affected his career. In June, he talked about what it was like to turn down an opportunity to return as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network sequel.
Photo by Zak Hussein/Variety via Getty Images.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
