Actress Penélope Cruz warned about what she described as "new technological tyrannies" that affect culture and art, expressing concern over data control, the content of digital platforms and generative artificial intelligence. She pointed out that concepts such as "double screen" —the practice of writing and recording repetitive and excessively explained content so people can follow films and series while looking at their phones— are transforming human attention and freedom.
Cruz expressed hope that a movement of resistance against these trends will emerge. "We have to refuse, not everything is permissible," she said, emphasising that new generations should not lack human contact, boredom or time for reflection. She linked the absence of these experiences with the increase in anxiety and depression over the past twenty years.
Regarding artificial intelligence, Cruz acknowledged its positive applications in medicine and research, but expressed concern about its impact on employment and total control. She highlighted that whilst talk of future free time persists, "people need a purpose, something that drives us and gives meaning to our lives".
The actress argued that authentic art —films, novels and paintings— possesses a dimension that technology cannot replicate. "What a good film, a good novel, a painting provoke touches a chord in us in a way that the other cannot compete with because it has no soul," she stated, expressing her belief that human existence transcends the material and tangible.
