The Hollywood star Tom Hanks “has nothing to do with” a version artificial intelligence of himself that he is promoting “some dental plan,” he said on Instagram on Sunday.
Along with the warning, Hanks shared a photo of an apparent AI likeness portraying his younger self, although it’s unclear whether this came from the dental plan announcement.
“CAREFUL!!” the Oscar-winning actor wrote on his verified Instagram account. “There’s a video out there promoting a dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing to do with it.
A CNN was unable to independently verify the content of the dental plan advertisement mentioned by Hanks and has reached out to Hanks’ representatives for comment.
Using AI to create virtual actors has become one of the hottest topics in Hollywood lately, as it has been one of the issues driving the ongoing actors’ strike.
AI allows for the much easier and cheaper use of computer-generated images to generate performances from actors who are not present. SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union, argued that studios want to use technology to eliminate acting jobs by digitizing and creating digital images to use in perpetuity without fair compensation.
Hanks himself has previously spoken out about the possible consequences of using AI in the acting industry, telling “The Adam Buxton Podcast” in May that film agents are discussing drafting contracts to protect actors’ images as intellectual property.
Hanks also suggested on the same podcast that technology could allow him to continue appearing in new films after he dies.
“Anyone can now recreate themselves, at any age, through AI or deeply fake technology… I can get hit by a bus tomorrow and that’s it, but my performances can go on indefinitely,” he added.
While Hanks acknowledged that an AI version of himself wouldn’t be able to produce the same performances he does now, he wondered if audiences would really care.
“No doubt people will know, but the question is, will they care?” he said. “There are some people who don’t care, who won’t make that delimitation.”
The task of creating an AI Hanks would be made easier, as his image and movements were recorded for use in the 2004 film “The Polar Express,” he said.
“That was always persistent,” Hanks said. “The first time we made a movie that had a huge amount of our own data locked away in a computer — literally our appearance — was a movie called ‘The Polar Express.’”
“We saw this coming, we saw that there would be this ability to take zeros and ones inside a computer and turn it into a face and a character. Now, it’s only grown a billion-fold since then and we see it everywhere.”
Source: CNN Brasil
Charles Grill is a tech-savvy writer with over 3 years of experience in the field. He writes on a variety of technology-related topics and has a strong focus on the latest advancements in the industry. He is connected with several online news websites and is currently contributing to a technology-focused platform.
