Last week, Reese Witherspoon faced backlash after her comments on artificial intelligence, in which she suggested that women should educate themselves about the technology. The actor has now responded to the criticism, clarifying her stance.
Reese Witherspoon addresses backlash
Last week, Reese went viral for declaring “the AI revolution has begun” and suggesting that women should learn about the technology. “The jobs women hold are 3x more likely to be automated by AI, yet women are using AI at a rate 25% lower than men on average. We don’t want to be left behind,” the Morning Show star wrote on Instagram.
The post attracted a fair amount of backlash, with people pointing out the problems associated with data centers and intellectual property, and accusing Reese of being paid by AI companies to promote generative tools.
On Monday, Reese, 50, took to Instagram Stories to address the backlash. The actor directly addressed whether or not she was being paid to promote AI, a claim that surfaced after her comments went viral and gained even more traction after Sandra Bullock said at CNBC’s Changemakers event that it’s time to lean into AI.
“Well, I guess my Al post got people talking,” Reese began, writing, “To be clear, no one is paying me to talk about this. I’m just a curious human. My kids are learning about AI tools, I know a lot of founders who are vibe coding, and I hear about people using AI in EVERY sector of business.”
The actor continued, “But I want to acknowledge people’s concerns, they are valid. I’m aware of the impact this could have on jobs across so many industries. I understand environmental concerns. I care deeply about local communities. And I have concerns about impending AGI (Artificial General Intelligence).”
Reese concluded the Instagram story by sharing, “I don’t believe computers should replace humanity. I’m planning on learning as much as possible so that I’m educated about this technological revolution. If you want to learn with me, great, let’s do this! If you don’t, that’s okay too.”
Reese’s views on AI
Reese has long been talking about artificial intelligence and encouraging her followers to become familiar with the technology.
On April 15, the actor took to social media to speak out about leaning in to artificial intelligence. “Well…I’ve decided it’s TIME,” she wrote in the caption of an Instagram reel. The actor added, “The AI revolution has begun, and I need to learn as much as I possibly can about AI and share it with all of you. Also, FYI: the jobs women hold are 3x more likely to be automated by AI, yet women are using AI at a rate 25% lower than men on average. We don’t want to be left behind. So…do you want to learn with me?”
Reese’s recent comments follow her emphasis on the importance of women learning AI. “It’s so, so important that women are involved in AI because it will be the future of filmmaking,” she said in a September interview with Glamour, sharing she uses Perplexity, Vetted AI and Simple AI.
Apart from Reese, Sandra Bullock also said at the CNBC Changemakers Summit that AI is “here” and “we have to understand it.”