Tom Hoax: Tom Hanks warns fans about fake ad featuring AI image of his likeness
Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on October 3, 2023
Tom Hanks is warning fans about a fake advertisement using an artificial intelligence-generated version of his likeness without his permission.
He shared an image of the ad, which he says falsely depicts him, with what appears to be an aged-down version of Hanks made using AI, to Instagram over the weekend.
“BEWARE!! There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me,” Hanks wrote over a photo from the deepfake ad. “I have nothing to do with it.”
He did not reveal the name of the company behind the AI-generated dental ad or where it was shared. A representative for Hanks told ABC News they had no additional comment on the matter.
As reported, Hanks previously opened up about AI and deepfake technology during an interview on The Adam Buxton Podcast.
Foreshadowing the Hollywood strikes — which have partly been about AI — Hanks noted there were “discussions going on in all of the guilds, all of the agencies and all of the legal firms in order to come up with the legal ramifications of my face and my voice — and everybody else’s — being our intellectual property.”
Actors under the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) are still on strike.
Hanks joked that he could pitch movies starring him at the age of 32 “from now until kingdom come” and the performances could go on even if he was “hit by a bus tomorrow.”
“Outside of the understanding that it’s being done by AI or deepfake, there’ll be nothing to tell you that it’s not me and me alone,” he said, noting the discussion is both an artistic and legal challenge.
“Without a doubt people will be able to tell [it’s not actually me],” he said. “But the question is will they care?”
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