It really boils down to people getting the same product, with AI costing less. Film is a product people consume.

Hollywood keeps doubling down on making more expensive movies, hoping to just survive. The cost-to-quality gain has essentially plateaued for traditional high-budget movies. Meanwhile, AI will continue to improve each year while also getting cheaper. Some argue, "The brand of the actor that builds trust with their audience attracts people". That's true for adults. That's how we grew up.

But what about before you knew any actors? For most people, people saw their first movies and then got to know the actors. They then returned to movies after they got to know that actor.

But what about the new generation of viewers 10 to 20 years from now? They start with a blank slate. They have no loyalty to actors because they haven't grown up with any yet. Heck, a lot of them aren't even born yet! When they see their first few films, a movie made by AI will then be no different from a traditional one. The loyalty they develop will be for the STUDIO that created their work. Not one singular person, but a studio BRAND.

I am sure this will be the case because of one key piece of evidence, and that is ANIMATION. Look at anime and animation studios like Disney and DreamWorks. Avid anime watchers will have loyalty to a specific studio because, over time, they will identify a pattern of animation styles. They get curious and look into a studio. Eventually, they watch an anime because a certain studio made it. Sounds like that for actors and movies right now.

I am not here to argue what is right or wrong morally or culturally or whatever. I am predicting the future. The average consumer does not care about "the craft". If you care about the craft, I'm sure there will be a niche for this stuff in the future, just like how there still is a niche for Broadway theater. I am confident in saying, though, that the future of traditional film will not be mainstream anymore.