Tom Hanks has issued a warning on Instagram about a dental plan advertisement that appears to feature him. Hanks clarified that the video is entirely fake and was crafted using artificial intelligence (AI).
He expressed dismay that his image was used without his consent, saying, “BEWARE!! There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing to do with it.”
The Oscar-winning actor has previously voiced concerns about AI’s role in the entertainment industry. Despite these reservations, he has approved digitally altered versions of himself for film projects. These include the computer-animated Christmas fantasy “The Polar Express” in 2004 and de-aged scenes in the 2022 film “A Man Called Otto.”
In a podcast interview with British comedian Adam Buxton on April 18, Hanks discussed AI’s impact on the industry. He said, “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.”
He emphasized the need to address the legal ramifications of AI-generated likenesses and voices. He also underscored that anyone could recreate themselves at any age using AI or deepfake technology.
Hollywood strikes over AI
The recently ended US writers’ strike voiced concerns about AI’s potential to undermine creative work. The Writers Guild of America reached an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television that includes restrictions on AI’s usage in film and TV.
However, Sag-Aftra, the union representing Hollywood actors, remains on strike. The main issues relate to pay and AI-generated likenesses at the center of their dispute.
Potential disruptors
The ability to generate deep fakes has more disruptive potential than just imitating actors, however. As the next US presidential elections loom, electoral disruption and fake propaganda via AI generated videos presents a very real problem.
AI-generated images and videos have already gone viral on social media, causing a stock market dip on one occasion, and the potential to cause further chaos.
[Via The Guardian]
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