Cannes You Believe It The Hollywood writers’ strike, which has kicked up a heated debate surrounding the use of AI in the industry, is still going strong. The stakes are high, with screenwriters fighting for assurances that they won’t be replaced with generative AIs churning out uninspired scripts. Studios, however, have yet to cave to the Writers Guild of America’s AI-related demands. But now, as Variety reports, several high-profile actors are throwing their weight behind the writers. “There are a lot of new concepts that are being tossed about, including the use of AI,” Oscar-winning film star Sean Penn said during a press conference at the ongoing Cannes film festival. “And it just strikes me as human obscenity that there’s been a pushback [from the studios] on that.” “The industry has been upending the writers, actors, and directors for a very, very long time,” he added. “My full support is with the writers guild.” Holding the Line Penn isn’t the only industry star to speak out against the use of generative AI in filmmaking. Actress and “Cocaine Bear” director Elizabeth Banks expressed her own concerns about AI at Cannes this week, telling Deadline that “we have to hold the line as a community.” “I include the producers and the studios in that community,” Banks said, adding that she was “heartbroken” that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers — the body that represents the studios — failed to “agree that AI should not be used for creative purposes.” Meanwhile, WGA members, who…Sean Penn Says Replacing Writers with AI Would Be a "Human Obscenity"