The Rise of AI Deepfakes in the Entertainment Industry
In 2023, Hollywood has become a battleground for the ethical implications of artificial intelligence, particularly the use of deepfakes. This modern-day Jason Bourne transformation—where celebrities are digitally altered to promote products they have nothing to do with—has got everyone from A-listers to YouTube stars sounding the alarm bells.
Tom Hanks: The First Celebrity to Sound the Alarm
Tom Hanks became the poster child for this issue when he alerted his followers on Instagram about a deepfake promoting a “dental plan.” In classic Hanks fashion, he shared images of his AI doppelgänger while simultaneously issuing a “beware” message. Because, who wouldn’t want a dental plan endorsed by the man who gave us such classics as Forrest Gump? Spoiler alert: it wasn’t him.
Gayle King’s Warning to Her Followers
Hot on the heels of Hanks, journalist Gayle King also faced her own AI nightmare. On October 2, she posted a deepfake video promoting a product she had no knowledge of or endorsement over. She candidly expressed her concerns like a seasoned pro: “…they’ve manipulated my voice and video to make it seem like I’m promoting it.” Talk about a plot twist! Just when you think you have control over your own brand, AI says, “Hold my coffee.”
MrBeast Joins the Fray
The trend didn’t stop with just two icons. On October 3, the popular YouTube personality MrBeast jumped into the conversation on the platform X (formerly Twitter). He denounced an AI deepfake that seemed to promote a scam advertising the iPhone 15 Pro. His blunt appeal to social media companies to take this issue seriously was like a breath of fresh air in the suffocating cloud of tech jargon. One comment on his post echoed a common fear: “Are social media platforms equipped to tackle this menace?”
Legislative Actions on the Horizon
While celebrities are vocal about their concerns, lawmakers are still twiddling their thumbs in the U.S. There’s no official legislation addressing deepfakes yet, but as the 2024 presidential election looms large, there’s chatter about regulating political deepfakes. Considering the divisive nature of social media, such measures cannot come soon enough.
Negotiations in Hollywood
Amidst all this, Hollywood studios and actors are also grappling with the impact of AI on their industry. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists has made AI a hot-button issue in their ongoing strike. Their proposal? Performers would be scanned just once, paid for a day’s work, and subsequently would relinquish their likeness to the studios. Not the best deal for a profession built on personal branding.
On the flip side, the Writer’s Guild strike has concluded with terms discussing AI in writing, proving that while we’re still figuring out how to coexist with AI, the dialogue is undeniably present.
