Helen Mirren, a renowned British actress, has revealed she avoids visiting doctors and instead turns to artificial intelligence (AI) for health-related questions. While promoting her new thriller A Talent for Murder at the Toronto International Film Festival, Mirren joked about her approach to health, saying she "completely ignore[s] everything" related to it. When asked by co-star Alden Ehrenreich if that meant she avoids doctors, Mirren confirmed, "Totally deny. I avoid doctors. Oh no, totally. And it’s working." Ehrenreich, who described himself as a hypochondriac, said he would be "thrilled" if he could "just have a doctor live in my house." Mirren humorously suggested a modern alternative: "Well, you do. It’s called AI." She added, "You know, AI is amazing. 'It hurts, but it doesn’t hurt that much!' Oh, it’s incredible." A Talent for Murder, directed by Anton Corbijn, stars Mirren as Patricia Highsmith, the American novelist known for creating the fictional character Tom Ripley. The film follows a young literary agent, played by Alden Ehrenreich, who travels to Switzerland to persuade the reclusive Highsmith to write one final Ripley novel. Olivia Cooke plays Clementine Balfour, a character who becomes entwined in the story as it develops. The film, adapted from a 2014 play, had its world premiere at TIFF as part of the festival’s Special Presentations programme. Earlier this year, Mirren took a different stance on AI when she accepted the American Cinematheque Award in Los Angeles. After being presented with the award, Mirren read a speech from a piece of paper, expressing gratitude for her career and love of storytelling. She then revealed, "And that was written by AI," before tearing the paper to pieces and tossing it to the stage floor, an act that drew massive applause from the audience. The use of AI has sparked significant debate in Hollywood, especially regarding its impact on actors' likenesses, voices, and employment. The 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike highlighted these concerns, leading to agreements that included protections for performers' digital replicas. More recently, the union criticized Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated "actress," after her creators sought representation in Hollywood. Meanwhile, tech leaders like Sam Altman and Elon Musk have supported calls for a slowdown in AI development to ensure safety measures can keep pace. Concerns about AI's risks intensified after a researcher at Anthropic, Jacob Coxon, resigned, stating that some in the field believe AI could pose existential threats by the end of the decade. A Talent for Murder is scheduled for a theatrical release on 23 October 2026.