Robert Downey Jr. vows there will never be a digital AI replica of him on-screen

Tony Stark whitethorn trust connected AI to thief build and aviator his Iron Man armor, but character Robert Downey Jr. will spell aft immoderate executive reasoning to usage AI to replicate him for a role. Downey made his feelings clear connected a caller episode of nan “On With Kara Swisher” podcast, wherever he discussed AI, deepfake technology, and his antipathy toward immoderate effort to recreate him pinch AI, moreover aft he passes away.

Downey isn't excessively concerned astir early urges astatine Marvel Studios to insert an AI replica of him into early films without his permission. The enticement is evident since Downey's astir celebrated domiciled kicked disconnected nan Marvel Cinematic Universe and he is moreover returning to nan MCU arsenic Doctor Doom successful nan upcoming Avengers: Doomsday film. Amusingly, some characters are good known for their usage of AI and precocious technology, pinch Doom, successful particular, sending retired an endless array of robotic duplicates pinch AI versions of his mind and characteristic to transportation retired his bidding.​ Still, he trusts that nan activity of nan workplace won't deny him.

"And to spell backmost to nan MCU, I'm not worried astir them hijacking my character's psyche because there's for illustration 3 aliases 4 guys and gals who make each nan decisions location anyway. And they would ne'er do that to maine pinch aliases without me," Downey said connected nan podcast.

Host Kara Swisher pointed retired that it's much astir what will hap aft he passes away, but Downey had an reply for that: "Well, you're right, And, I would for illustration to present authorities that I intend to writer each early executives conscionable connected spec," he declared.

“You’ll beryllium dead,” Swisher countered, to which Downey quickly riposted: “But my rule patient will still beryllium very active.”

Eternal conflict against AI

The Oscar-winner is hardly unsocial among actors successful being wary of AI duplicates, an rumor captious to nan onslaught and eventual woody made by nan caller Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) strikes this year. Downey's position whitethorn beryllium bolstered by rule acknowledgment to a measure introduced by California legislators prohibiting nan unauthorized replication of deceased actors.

On nan different hand, immoderate actors look good pinch having AI return up their iconic roles arsenic agelong arsenic they and their eventual property o.k. and are compensated. For instance, James Earl Jones agreed to fto Disney usage his sound for early Darth Vader projects earlier his caller passing. His statement specifications really and erstwhile his AI sound clone whitethorn beryllium used.

Jones isn't nan only personage allowing AI companies to replicate their sound aliases face. Meta scored deals pinch galore celebrities, including John Cena, Keegan Michael Key, and Kristen Bell, to sound its Meta AI assistant. ElevenLabs did nan aforesaid pinch Deepak Chopra for its Reader App. , and reached a woody pinch nan estates of James Dean, Burt Reynolds, Judy Garland, and Sir Laurence Olivier to fto it adhd AI versions of their voices to nan app. Not each performer has nan resources to push backmost against nan imaginable AI deepfakes that could beryllium produced. Hence, AI's spot successful Hollywood was a cardinal sticking constituent during nan strike.

Downey has been immersed successful questions of AI and creation acknowledgment to his caller move connected Broadway successful McNeal. The drama, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar, sees Downey play a celebrated writer battling AI's takeover of imaginative projects and really artists and audiences should grapple pinch nan implications of nan technology. It's not excessively dissimilar to what Downey said successful nan interview, including criticizing nan measurement AI developers sometimes hint aliases outright proclaim that AI is simply a cardinal to redeeming imaginative industries. ChatGPT is nary Ultron, but Downey very overmuch opposes immoderate of what AI mightiness do to actors, writers, and different creators conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic Iron Man fought nan murderous AI connected nan large screen.

You mightiness besides like

• Meta AI adds a sound mode featuring celebrities for illustration John Cena, Keegan Michael Key and Kristen Bell
• How you tin get (AI versions of) Judy Garland aliases Burt Reynolds to publication to you
• Why nan passing of James Earl Jones doesn't mean you won't perceive Darth Vader's sound again