TORONTO — Danny Boyle says he tried to be responsible with the small amount of artificial intelligence used in the making of his new film “Ink.” At a Tuesday screening of the movie at the Toronto International Film Festival, the British director said he was careful to think about potential job losses when deciding to use the technology for about 30 seconds in the movie. His remarks were met with jeers by some in the audience. “We try to be very responsible and make sure that no actors were out of work because of it,” he explained during a panel after the screening, when an audience member asked about his use of AI. “We would always employ actors if we were going to use a bit of it.” AI helped Boyle animate old photographs used in a montage and add mice to another scene in the movie about the sensationalism of U.K. tabloid the Sun under owner Rupert Murdoch. Boyle didn’t explain why he felt it necessary to rely on the technology but said it’s an issue both the industry and humanity need to explore in the future. “The wider question of It and its place in our society, of course, including our profession is a huge and complicated one, which I don’t think we could probably go into here,” he said. “But we will need to go into it more.” As he wrapped up answering the question, an audience member shouted that he should never use AI in his film again. A TIFF employee who was moderating the panel with Boyle and stars Guy Pearce and Jack O’Connell then ended the question session. Boyle is best known for “Slumdog Millionaire,” a rags to riches film that won TIFF’s People’s Choice Award in 2008 and then an Academy Award for best picture. “Ink” screened at TIFF about a week after its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2026. Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press
