AI was once seen as a tool to support script writing, editing or visual effects. But in the past two years, this boundary has changed rapidly as AI-generated characters begin to appear directly in front of the audience. Are millions of actors gradually losing their jobs?
When AI steps from behind the scenes to the screen
In China, short films and vertical films are among the fields showing clear changes. According to Chinese media, in Q1/2026, about 128,000 short films were uploaded to platforms, of which products with AI applications accounted for more than 95%.
What is noteworthy at this time is no longer that AI can create a beautiful face or a few eye-catching images. When technology has the ability to build a complete character, from appearance, expression to action, AI begins to be able to take on part of the work that previously only belonged to actors.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, director Zun Bin said that this trend may become more popular soon in Vietnam.
In Vietnam, I think the issue is not whether it happens or not, but when and at what level. Especially with vertical films, short films, where audiences need continuous content, fast production speed and optimized budget, AI has a great advantage," he said.
According to Zun Bin, extras and very small roles can be affected first. A scene that requires 50 passersby, customers in a restaurant, office workers or students in the schoolyard can be considered by the producer to use AI if the quality is convincing enough.
Next may be "supporting roles that appear very little, do not have too much screen time or do not require complex emotional interaction".
From a production perspective, Kevin Huynh believes that AI is initially more suitable for "a landscape that needs a lot of personnel, action scenes that use graphics or effects". At that time, producers can reduce pressure on human resources, field organization and costs.
However, he does not want to use too much AI just to save money.
What AI cannot replace is that emotions in every action come from real people," Kevin Huynh said.
WHO knows how to cry, knows how to laugh but already knows how to "act"?
Director Pham Vinh Khuong is one of the early Vietnamese filmmakers to experiment with this technology. He once made the short film "Touch" using AI.
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Direct filmmaking experience made Pham Vinh Khuong see both the advantages and limitations of technology.
Creating a character that appears for a few seconds is very different from maintaining that character throughout a film," he said.
According to the director, filmmakers must control appearance, voice, psychological developments, interaction and continuity between scenes. Some AI images are created very quickly, but the process of editing to match the intention takes a lot of effort. Therefore, he does not assume that using AI is faster and cheaper.
The bigger difference lies in the acting process. For Pham Vinh Khuong, real actors are creative collaborators. They can read the script and ask the director back: "Why does the character have to cry here? What if they try to hold back?". Such a choice can change the entire emotion of the film scene.
Acting lies in choosing and reacting. An actor listens to his co-star, feels the silence, and then changes his breathing, eyes, or the way he says the next sentence," he analyzed.
Pham Vinh Khuong said that a character created by technology can still make the audience cry if placed correctly in the story. But with real actors, directors are working with a person who has experience, views and the ability to proactively make choices.
Meritorious Artist Hanh Thuy also admitted that she is "very impressed" when watching some recent AI movies. According to the female artist, AI characters can become beautiful, act in detail, handle psychology and act better and better.
However, she believes that AI is still mainly "recreating or imitating" from data. Real actors also have emotions, thinking and especially relationships built with the audience over the years.
Pham Vinh Khuong therefore predicts a more suitable model in the future, not necessarily AI to replace humans, but humans combined with AI. He is willing to make films with the main role being real people, and a part of the supporting role, the masses are created by AI if the quality meets the requirements.
But the director wanted to try technology in a scene that was difficult to have dialogue, interaction and emotional transformation to measure quality, editing time and actual cost.
