When Stephen Colbert asked the Oscar-winning performer and writer how she felt about "the coming AI revolution," Thompson didn't hold back: "Intense irritation." Her target? Microsoft Word's Copilot feature, which constantly offers to rewrite her work. "When I've written something and put it into a Word document, it's constantly saying, 'Would you like me to rewrite that for you?'" Thompson said.
On October 26, 2025, the actor and writer Emma Thompson joined the staff writer Helen Shaw for a discussion at the 26th annual New Yorker Festival, a weekend of conversations, screenings, performances, and more. The Festival, which is the magazine's signature event, was held in New York City and brought together leading voices in literature, film, comedy, television, politics, and medicine.
Emma Thompson has two secrets. The first is a minor scandal - she's a lesbian - and the second is a major one: She's American, born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. Neither of these secrets is true, but they drive the plot of "Emma," a 1997 episode of Ellen in which Thompson guest-stars as herself. She's fantastic in the appearance, sharp and silly all at once,