Mark Wahlberg offered a conditional endorsement of AI in Hollywood during an appearance at TechCrunch Disrupt. According to TechCrunch, the actor and director said the technology has a place in the industry as long as it is used "the right way." He cited the upcoming Pete Rose biopic, in which he will star, as a potential use case for AI to enhance stadium settings rather than replace human performances.
Wahlberg drew a line between using AI to improve production values and letting it drive the creative process. He said he does not believe someone should feed an idea into ChatGPT, get a script back, and make that instead of using real actors. At the same time, he said he is less passionate about effects-driven movies than about real storytelling, even as he acknowledged that earlier films like "Jurassic Park" and "The Perfect Storm" represented cutting-edge CGI moments.
The conversation also turned to digital likenesses. Wahlberg said he has not visited the CAA Vault, a facility where actors can be scanned to create AI replicas, but he would be interested in the idea. He said it would be cool for his children or grandchildren to control his likeness and image in the future. He also said he would not oppose his animated series "Ted" continuing for decades with an AI version of him, adding that if audiences want to see it, they should be entitled to it.