On September 4, 2026, Maggie Gyllenhaal revealed at the Venice Film Festival that she tested licensed artificial intelligence technology to transform Dakota Johnson into Marilyn Monroe for the short film “Flesh Impact.” Gyllenhaal ultimately scrapped the experiment because Johnson’s live performance felt more emotional, human, and compelling. Gyllenhaal said the project’s commissioners specifically asked her to try AI trained on licensed footage from Monroe’s films. The concept involved placing Monroe’s face over Johnson’s as the short moves between a 100-year-old Monroe and flashbacks to Monroe in her 30s. Why Did Maggie Gyllenhaal Delete the AI Version? According to Gyllenhaal, the technology erased the qualities that made the performance worth filming in the first place. “It fundamentally did not work,” she said during a Venice symposium, adding that the AI version undermined the project’s original creative purpose. Gyllenhaal also criticized AI’s environmental footprint, pointing to public concern over data centers in South Memphis. She cited computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton’s warnings about artificial intelligence and said the debate needs to include both artistic consequences and the infrastructure powering the technology.