2-10-2023 (LOS ANGELES) Tom Hanks, the renowned Hollywood actor, has issued a strong caution to his 9.5 million Instagram followers in response to an AI-generated video featuring his likeness making the rounds on the internet.
In a post on the social media platform, the 67-year-old star alerted his fans to a clip that showcased a computer-generated version of himself promoting a dental plan, stressing that the video was entirely fabricated without his consent or knowledge.
“BEWARE!! There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing to do with it,” Hanks wrote in the caption, along with a screenshot of the AI image used in the fraudulent video. However, he refrained from divulging specific details about the dental plan being promoted in the deceptive clip.
Hanks has been an outspoken critic of the growing use of artificial intelligence in the TV and film industry, which enables creators to replicate an actor’s likeness through computer-generated imagery or superimpose it onto a stunt double.
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In a podcast interview on The Adam Buxton Podcast in May, Hanks discussed the industry’s evolving use of AI technology. He harkened back to the 2004 Christmas animated film, “The Polar Express,” as the first instance where a substantial amount of an actor’s data was stored in a computer to recreate their appearance.
“We saw this coming. We saw that there was going to be this ability to take zeros and ones inside a computer and turn it into a face and a character. Now that has only grown a billion-fold since then, and we see it everywhere,” Hanks remarked.
The actor went on to express his concerns about the persistent use of AI in his industry, highlighting that fans may have difficulty distinguishing between a fake image and the real actor.
Hanks also revealed that discussions are underway within the entertainment industry to address the legal aspects of using a star’s face and voice as intellectual property. He stressed that anyone can now use AI or deep fake technology to recreate themselves at any age.
Furthermore, he pointed out the profound implications: “I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and that’s it, but my performances can go on and on and on. Outside of the understanding that it’s been done by AI or deep fake, there’ll be nothing to tell you that it’s not me and me alone, and it’s going to have some degree of lifelike quality.”
These concerns are not unique to Hanks. Hollywood’s writers and actors are currently engaged in debates about safeguarding the industry against AI technology. This technology has the potential to employ a star’s likeness without their consent or even replace background actors entirely, raising crucial questions about intellectual property and privacy in the digital age.
