Sean Penn Addresses Hollywood AI Controversy With Wild Response: “I Want to Create a Virtual Replica” Of “Your Daughter”

SAG-AFTRA and the WGA have both been on strike for months now, holding steadfast against the studio’s refusal to regulate artificial intelligence and increase wages. But Sean Penn recently made his thoughts on Hollywood’s use of AI very clear in a new interview with Variety.

In the interview, Penn’s profiler described the actor as “particularly livid” over the studio’s desire to use SAG actors’ likenesses for future projects using AI.

Penn said, “So you want my scans and voice data and all that. OK, here’s what I think is fair: I want your daughter’s, because I want to create a virtual replica of her and invite my friends over to do whatever we want in a virtual party right now. Would you please look at the camera and tell me you think that’s cool?”

He concluded his AI rant by calling that request “an indecent proposal.”

“It’s not about business,” he said. “That they would do that and not be taken to task for it is insulting. This is a real exposé on morality — a lack of morality.”

The actor was promoting his upcoming documentary on Ukrainian President and his friend, Volodymyr Zelensky, which is set to premiere soon.

Variety‘s profile of the actor described him chainsmoking as he ranted about multiple topics, from politics to Hollywood to his own sordid past. But one topic in particular made him “fucking furious,” according to writer Stephen Rodrick.

Penn criticized the Academy Awards for not letting Zelensky speak at the 2022 Oscar Awards. “The Oscars producer thought, ‘Oh, he’s not light-hearted enough.’ Well, guess what you got instead? Will Smith!” He was, of course, referring to that infamous moment Smith interrupted Chris Rock on stage and slapped him after he made a joke about his marriage to actress Jada Pinkett-Smith.

“I don’t know Will Smith. I met him once,” Penn said. “He seemed very nice when I met him. He was so fucking good in King Richard.” Smith went on to win an Oscar later that same evening for his portrayal of Venus and Serena Williams’ father in the 2021 feature.

“So why the fuck did you just spit on yourself and everybody else with this stupid fucking thing? Why did I go to fucking jail for what you just did?” Penn continued. “And you’re still sitting there? Why are you guys standing and applauding his worst moment as a person?”

The Milk actor was referring to the 33 days he spent in jail in 1987 after he was booked for reckless driving and punching an extra who tried to photograph him while filming Colors. Earlier that same year, he was given a fine and put on probation for punching a songwriter because he thought he kissed Madonna, his wife at the time.

Multiple reports later alleged that Penn abused Madonna, though she denied it in 2015, saying the claims were “completely outrageous.”

He concluded his impassioned comments to Variety by stating that the Oscars spectacle left him feeling like his “only choice” was to let his Oscar Awards “be melted down to bullets” for Ukraine to use to “shoot at the Russians.”

Penn’s documentary Superpower premieres on Paramount+ on Sept. 18.