Jodie Foster Slams Apple’s ‘F1’ Movie – “It Felt Like It Was Made by AI”

Jodie Foster has shared a surprising opinion about Apple’s hit racing movie F1, saying it felt like something artificial intelligence could have created. The Oscar-winning actress made the comments during a conversation at the Aspen Festival of Ideas, where she spoke about how AI is changing Hollywood and what it could mean for the future of filmmaking.

Foster appeared on a panel called “Who Owns the Future of Hollywood” alongside former Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton. During the discussion, she used F1, starring Brad Pitt, as an example of a movie that, in her opinion, felt more machine-made than human-made. Foster made it clear that she was not trying to insult the film or its success. She even acknowledged that the movie performed extremely well at the box office. Still, she said its storytelling felt overly predictable.

“I don’t say this disparagingly, how could I? This movie went on to make millions of dollars. But I look at a movie like ‘F1’ and I’m like, ‘F1’ was made by AI,” Foster said while laughing during the event. She continued by explaining why she had that impression. “Wasn’t it? I mean, the structure was exactly the structure that you would learn in school. The actors say the lines exactly the way it would be written if a computer was writing exactly what would be the right thing for that time.”

Foster also said the filmmakers successfully used technology to create a visually impressive movie. However, she suggested that much of what audiences see today can come from existing information instead of original creative ideas. Her comments quickly caught attention because F1 has been one of Apple’s biggest movie successes. The racing drama, starring Brad Pitt, earned more than $634 million worldwide. It also received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won the Oscar for Best Sound.

The larger discussion at the Aspen Festival focused on artificial intelligence and its growing influence on the entertainment industry. Michael Lynton asked Foster whether she believes AI could eventually replace actors and writers. Foster admitted that technology is already changing the way movies are made. “AI is one more giant step forward into changing the industry,” she said.

She pointed out that studios already use technology to reduce costs in some areas. One example is creating digital background actors instead of hiring large numbers of extras. “We do replace people,” Foster said while explaining how crowd scenes are often created today. She also stressed that workers should still be paid fairly when their digital likeness is used multiple times. Foster believes unions have an important role in protecting actors as AI becomes more common in filmmaking.

“We’re getting rid of a lot of jobs and hopefully, things like unions will be able to come in and say, you can use my actor 20 times, but you’re going to pay him 20 times. And I think that’s fair.” Although Foster expressed concerns about AI replacing creative work, she did not reject the technology completely. She said AI can be useful for certain parts of filmmaking, especially during pre-production.

One example she mentioned was pre-visualization, often called “previz,” which helps directors plan scenes before filming begins. Foster believes AI can make that process easier without taking creative control away from filmmakers. She also revealed that AI was used in a dream-like sequence in her latest film, My Private Life. According to Foster, the technology helped create unusual images that matched the tone of the scene.

Even though she said the visuals “made no sense,” she felt they worked because the filmmakers remained in control of the creative process. For Foster, that is the most important point. She believes AI should be a tool that helps artists instead of replacing them. “What we all would love is that filmmakers would be able to dominate AI, and never lose sight of that,” she said.

She ended her thoughts with an optimistic view of how AI could be used in the future if creators remain in charge. “If we are able to dominate AI consistently over time, we will be able to make things that reflect us, and we can make things better.”

While Foster’s opinion about F1 is likely to spark debate among movie fans, her main message was less about one film and more about the future of Hollywood. She believes artificial intelligence is becoming a bigger part of filmmaking, but says the industry’s biggest challenge will be making sure technology supports creativity instead of replacing it.

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