George Clooney issues chilling AI warning as deepfakes threaten to blur fact and fiction

George Clooney has issued a stark warning about the growing influence of artificial intelligence, arguing that rapidly advancing technology could make it increasingly difficult for the public to distinguish genuine information from fabricated material.

The actor, filmmaker and political activist made the comments at the 83rd VENICE FILM FESTIVAL on September 2, where he received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. Clooney used his appearance at the prestigious Italian festival to discuss concerns surrounding AI, deepfakes, journalism and the concentration of media ownership.

Clooney said the spread of AI generated material could damage public confidence in authentic evidence because people may eventually dismiss genuine events as fabricated. He warned that once trust in information is weakened, even factual reports could be met with suspicion.

"It's getting harder and harder for us to discern the truth," Clooney told reporters, according to Reuters. He explained that the problem extends beyond people believing false information because authentic material could also become easier to reject.

"Worse than that, because you poison the well of saying 'maybe this is true', 'maybe this isn't', then when you see real things that are really true, people are able to say, 'Well, that's fake'," he said.

The 65 year old actor also revealed that he had recently spoken with people working at the forefront of AI development. While acknowledging the intense effort being invested in the technology, Clooney said he remained unconvinced that safeguards were advancing quickly enough to address the potential risks.

"Everybody's working furiously at it, and I haven't seen any great strides yet in success," he said.

Clooney also approached the subject with his characteristic humour when discussing the possibility of his likeness being manipulated after his death. He joked that he would rather avoid seeing an AI generated version of himself appear in an inappropriate advertisement decades after his passing.

"I would like to avoid being in a tampon commercial 20 years after I'm dead," Clooney said.

His concerns about AI were closely connected to his wider worries about the state of journalism. Clooney pointed to the increasing concentration of major media organisations in the hands of some of the world's wealthiest individuals, specifically referencing Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk.

He noted Bezos' ownership of The Washington Post and Musk's ownership of X while arguing that the concentration of information in the hands of extremely wealthy individuals deserves scrutiny.

"The state of journalism is always in flux, always challenged," Clooney said. At the same time, he expressed optimism that information would continue to reach the public despite the pressures facing traditional journalism.

The actor also addressed the proposed acquisition involving Paramount and Warner Bros, expressing scepticism about whether the deal would make financial sense. Clooney said consolidation within the entertainment industry can result in job losses and questioned how the proposed transaction could ultimately work.

His appearance in Venice came as the festival honoured a career spanning almost three decades at the event. Clooney first attended the festival in 1998 for the premiere of Out of Sight, beginning a long association with Venice that has included appearances for films such as Good Night, and Good Luck, Michael Clayton, Gravity and Jay Kelly.