Artificial intelligence is one of the most important issues being discussed in the current actors' strike. There is no shortage of reasons. More and more actors' faces are being used without their consent utilizing AI. Recently, Tom Hanks warned on Instagram that his image and likeness were being used illegally used to promote a dental plan:
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It is not the first time that the two-time Oscar-winning performer has warned about the dangers of this new technology. Hanks recently explained to the risks faced by actors whose image is recreated without their authorization by artificial intelligence on The Adam Buxton Podcast:
Anybody can now recreate themselves at any age they are by way of AI or deep fake technology. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and that’s it, but performances can go on and on and on and on. Outside the understanding of AI and deepfakes, 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. That’s certainly an artistic challenge but it’s also a legal one.
Robin Williams' voice also recreated with artificial intelligence
Tom Hanks is not the only one who has been affected by the illegal use of AI. The daughter of actor Robin Williams, Zelda Williams, claimed that her late father's voice was being recreated by a "horrendous Frankensteinian monster." She shared a story on Instagram that quickly jumped to other social networks such as X (formerly Twitter).
In it, Williams assured that she understood the Screen Actors Guild of America's (SAG-AFTRA) fight with big studios to legislate the use of artificial intelligence since she has "witnessed" how this technology was used to recreate her father's voice:
I am not an impartial voice in SAG's fight against AI. I've witnessed for years how many people want to train these models to create/recreate actors who cannot consent, like Dad.
This isn't theoretical, it is very very real. I've already heard AI used to get his 'voice' to say whatever people want and while I find it personally disturbing, the ramifications go far beyond my own feelings. Living actors deserve a chance to create characters with their choices, to voice cartoons, to put their human effort and time into the pursuit of performance. These recreations are, at their very best, a poor facsimile of greater people, but at their worst, a horrendous Frankensteinian monster, cobbled together from the worst bits of everything this industry is, instead of what it should stand for.
Sharing this from @zeldawilliams, whose drive to protect her dad’s legacy may seem unique because of his singular genius, but ultimately will be familiar to all artists. To me this is the #1 reason to get out and support SAG on the picket lines even though our deal is done. pic.twitter.com/zNXgBlOoEV
— carina adly mackenzie (@cadlymack) October 1, 2023
