Tom Hanks recently made a surprising revelation about the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in films.During an episode of The Adam Buxton podcast, the actor of Forrest Gump said that now anyone can recreate themselves at any age with the help of modern technology such as AI and deep fake.
Hanks is now set to star in the upcoming movie “Here” with director Robert Zemeckis, where the movie might use AI technology to de-age him, allowing his performance to continue even after his own eventual death.
Hollywood agents on the other hand are working on coming up with various contracts and agreements to protect celebrities from having their images and voices changed beyond recognition. Hanks himself commented that he could bring out a series of seven movies with him as the lead, all at the age of thirty-two.
The same conversation has been arising in all guilds and firms that are responsible for managing intellectual property.
At the same time, Hanks noted that AI technology presents a unique artistic challenge and legal challenge, given the difficulty in distinguishing between a real performance and a synthetic one.
For Robert Zemeckis, using AI technology to create lifelike performances is nothing new. The director is renowned for his use of motion capture and digital animation technology in films such as Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and The Polar Express. He knows, however, that lots of contracts and agreements need to be made in order to ensure that no one is attempting to use someone else’s image without permission.
This revelation by Tom Hanks provides an interesting insight into how modern technology is changing the landscape of film and the legal systems that safeguard intellectual property.
