Generative artificial intelligence (AI) (gen AI) seems to be taking centre stage at the Cannes Film Festival, which kicked off earlier this week on May 12, 2026.
The film industry has evidently resisted the acceptance of AI, such as the UK Actors' "Stop AI Stealing the Show" Campaign in 2025. Hollywood actors engaged in a 118-day strike from July 14 to November 9, 2023, in support of the Writers Guild of America (WGA).
Now it seems the filmmakers are accepting the cautious use of AI.
French director Xavier Gens, known for the 2024 Netflix hit Under Paris, revealed a staggering projection: GenAI could slash visual effects (VFX) budgets by up to 50%. This presents a monumental shift for media efficiency and a crucial takeaway for B2B tech audiences.
Under Paris, a horror movie about a scientist fighting a giant shark in the Seine, serves as a prime example of a VFX-heavy film where these savings could be realised.
Gens, also a screenwriter known for directing profound gut-wrenching thrillers, including Under Paris, told Reuters about the potential reduced production costs if AI were used.
According to Reuters, Gens said that he could have cut the visual effects budget by half and completed up to eight months earlier with AI.
"I would do it in three months instead of one year," he stated at the Cannes Film Festival. He implied that just about 2 million euros ($2.34 million) could have been spent on visual effects instead of the 4 million euros actually spent.
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Cannes Film Festival Questions: How to Use AI?
The questions attendees of the festival are asking are not a dismissal of AI use, but how it will be used.
While the film industry has often cited risks to artistic values with the use of gen AI, the festival seems to have spotlighted the benefits of saving time and money.
The French director expressed his interest in deploying AI technology in the Under Paris sequel.
Many AI tools can now automate time-consuming post-production tasks, such as fine-tuning special effects or “superimposing” in the case of sharks in Under Paris 2.
According to a Morgan Stanley analysis from July, 2025, GenAI could lead to cost reductions of 10 per cent across the media industry, and as much as 30 per cent in TV and film.
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Cannes: Meta AI Shaping Filmmaking
To top the subject of AI at the festival, Meta was welcomed as an official partner this year as part of a multi-year deal.
Meta’s AI technology was used in a documentary by Steven Soderbergh about John Lennon and Yoko Ono. The company also took part in conversations about how AI is shaping filmmaking.
The Cannes Film Festival has not banned the use of AI exclusively. The exceptions to this rule are those films that are predominantly driven by generative AI will not be permitted to compete in Palme d'Or.
Additionally, the rules dictate that the writing and acting in the films must be performed by humans solely.
As per Reuters, Festival Director Thierry Fremaux said that AI could not be a substitute for ability. "To ride an electric bike, you have to know how to ride a normal bike.
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