Japanese Director Koji Fukada Premieres New Drama 'Nagi Notes' at Cannes

Japanese filmmaker Koji Fukada said at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday that using artificial intelligence to "jump straight to the result" could mean art fails to achieve its purposes of self-expression and to deepen understanding of the world.

Fukada made the remarks at a press conference at the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. He is premiering his new drama "Nagi Notes" at the event.

The Japan Times reported that the film is set in rural Japan. He said his new drama "Nagi Notes" reflects on the human process of creating a sculpture. Fukada attended the press conference on Thursday as part of activities tied to the premiere.

"When AI is used to create an artwork or produce a video, you effectively skip over the process and jump straight to the result and, in doing so, we, who ought to be the ones expressing ourselves, lose sight of the very process in which we are to increase our understanding of the world," he said.

The comments came as Fukada introduced "Nagi Notes" to international press at the festival in Cannes, France. The drama explores themes tied directly to the physical and reflective labor of artistic creation.

Fukada drew a contrast between that human experience and what he described as AI's compression of the creative journey. The Japan Times reported his statements in coverage published on May 15, 2026. Fukada spoke at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday in the lead-up to the film's screenings.

His appearance at the 79th edition of the festival marks the latest stop for the director known for thoughtful character studies. The film arrives at a moment when filmmakers worldwide are weighing technology's role in storytelling. Fukada's remarks centered on what he sees as a lost opportunity for self-understanding when the iterative process of making art is bypassed.

He positioned "Nagi Notes" as an attempt to reclaim attention on that very process.