Jenna Ortega Warns AI Could Turn Movies Into “Mental Junk Food”
Jenna Ortega shared her worries about artificial intelligence during a press event at the Marrakech Film Festival, where she is serving on the jury this year. Speaking to reporters, the Wednesday star said it’s hard not to feel uneasy about how fast AI is spreading in filmmaking and beyond.
As she explained 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.” She compared the rise of AI to opening a door that can’t be closed again, saying it feels like “we’ve opened Pandora’s box in a way.”
Even with her concerns, Ortega said she believes moments like this can push artists to fight for creativity. She said tough times often inspire people to work harder and protect what matters in art.
According to her, there are things that machines simply cannot recreate, adding, “There’s beauty in difficulty and there’s beauty in mistakes, and a computer can’t do that. A computer has no soul.” She also hopes people eventually get tired of AI-created content, saying she wants it to reach a point where it becomes “mental junk food.”
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
Festival jury president Bong Joon Ho agreed with Ortega. He said AI might end up reminding everyone what makes human creativity special. Bong joked about his own approach to the issue, saying, “My personal answer is I’m going to organize a military squad where their mission is to destroy AI all over the world.”
Other jury members spoke up as well. Director Celine Song didn’t hide her feelings, quoting Guillermo del Toro and saying, “f**** AI,” adding that she believes it harms the planet and affects how people see and hear art. This year’s jury also includes Anya Taylor-Joy, Julia Ducournau, Karim Aïnouz, Hakim Belabbes, and Payman Maadi.
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