Jenna Ortega Says AI May Reduce Films to “Mental Junk Food”
Jenna Ortega shared strong thoughts about artificial intelligence during a press event at the Marrakech Film Festival, where she is part of this year’s jury.
Speaking to reporters, the actor explained that AI makes her uneasy and that its fast growth in filmmaking feels risky. She said it reminds her of moments in history when humans pushed things too far. As she put it, “we just always take things too far and I think it’s very easy to be terrified — I know I am — of deep uncertainty.” Ortega also compared the rise of AI to opening a door that cannot be closed, saying it feels like “we’ve opened Pandora’s box in a way.”
Even with those worries, Ortega told the press she hopes the industry can find something positive in this moment. She believes difficult times can push artists to be more vocal and more creative. She explained that real art needs human flaws, saying “there’s beauty in difficulty and there’s beauty in mistakes, and a computer can’t do that. A computer has no soul.”
Jenna Ortega speaks out on the dangers of AI in film:
— Variety (@Variety) November 29, 2025
“I hope it comes to a point where it becomes mental junk food and we see it on the screen and feel sick and don’t know why. I think, as terrible as it is to say, sometimes audiences need to be deprived of something in order… pic.twitter.com/mdAIWqlRxO
She even shared a hopeful but blunt thought about AI’s future in entertainment, saying she hopes it eventually becomes “mental junk food” that audiences get tired of.
Director Bong Joon Ho, who is leading the festival’s jury, backed up Ortega’s concerns. He said AI might help people think harder about what humans can do that machines can’t. At the same time, he joked about forming a group to wipe AI out, saying with a laugh, “I’m going to organize a military squad where their mission is to destroy AI all over the world.”
The jury panel also includes Anya Taylor-Joy, Celine Song, Julia Ducournau, Karim Aïnouz, Hakim Belabbes and Payman Maadi. Song was especially blunt when the topic of AI came up. She quoted filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and said, “*u*k AI.” She argued that it harms the planet and affects the way people see and hear the world.
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