Tom Holland has shared his bit in the debate over artificial intelligence and creativity, offering a confident defence of human artistry that puts him firmly in the team of those who believe AI cannot replace what artists do.
Speaking on Spain’s El Hormiguero talk show on Wednesday alongside Zendaya, Holland was direct about his thinking.
“Creativity is safe from AI because creativity has to do with the human experience. It’s about emotions, it’s about understanding one another.”
He pushed further, arguing that the technology’s fundamental limitations make it incapable of genuine artistic expression.
“AI can sift through data, but it can’t understand people’s emotions. It doesn’t understand the difference between being happy and being sad. The way artists paint, it’s not about what they’re copying, it’s about expressing themselves. So I feel protected.”
Holland is one of a growing number of voices in Hollywood weighing in on a debate that has become impossible to avoid.
His comments echo those made just days earlier by Guillermo del Toro, who warned at a BFI event on Monday night that the industry is approaching a crisis point.
“We are on the verge of image illiteracy. We are on the verge of cinema illiteracy,” del Toro said.
On the other side of the conversation, figures like Reese Witherspoon and Sandra Bullock have spoken in favour of engaging with and implementing AI in everyday life, while Martin Scorsese has partnered with an AI company to use its technology for storyboarding.
Holland’s appearance on the show comes as he prepares for one of the busiest summers of his career.
He stars as Telemachus in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, due in cinemas on 24 July, before returning to the Marvel universe a week later with Spider-Man: Brand New Day on 31 July.
Zendaya features in both films alongside him.
