Tom Hanks Shares an Eerily Optimistic Message on AI in Movies
The actor believes that it would allow for him and others to appear on screen long after their deaths.
The idea of replacing long-dead actors with some kind of CGI puppet is still brought up from time to time.
It has been done with varying degrees of success, such as Paul Walker in the Fast & Furious franchise or Peter Cushing in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
But those were just CGI "masks" applied to live doubles, so what about replacing a person entirely with an AI copy?
Tom Hanks, whose name is probably familiar to many moviegoers, has an eerily optimistic take on the matter.
Speaking recently on The Adam Buxton Podcast, the acclaimed actor said that he believes he will continue to appear on screen even after his death.
Hanks said that if he wanted to, he could pitch a whole series of movies to be released 32 years from now, as " anybody can now recreate themselves at any age" due to the significant advances made in the fields of deep fakes and AI.
The actor explained that even if he is "hit by a bus tomorrow and that's it," his performances and legacy could live on with the help of new technologies.
Of course, Hanks is sure that the difference will be quite significant, but he doubts that audiences will care too much.
While fans admit he's right about the possibility, they feel that "can" doesn't automatically mean "should."
They say it would be a completely dystopian future, where movies would be populated by soulless puppets of long-dead actors, and their children and grandchildren would just collect the royalties.
The deep fake is already developed enough and is essential in certain unique situations (like the aforementioned Rogue One, where Cushing's character Tarkin was necessary for the plot), but is it really wise to overuse it?
They believe it is much better to let new generations of young actors replace the veterans.
Sources: The Adam Buxton Podcast, Reddit