‘The Dark Knight’ Trilogy Stars Michael Caine And Morgan Freeman Take Polar Opposite Stances On AI
AI is no longer fiction. It is here, as is the danger of it mimicking someone, especially someone famous, through deepfakes. With that now a reality, people who have the power to fight back are taking steps to prevent their image, likeness, and voice from being co-opted and abused for somebody else’s financial gain.
Veteran actor Morgan Freeman is pursuing legal recourse against unauthorized use of his unmistakable voice by parties utilizing AI to copy it. His team of lawyers is “very, very busy” with “Quite a few” cases, the Se7en star says in an interview with The Guardian.
It’s happened to him before, such as one notorious incident on TikTok that came to his attention. “I’m a little PO’d, you know,” Freeman shared. “I’m like any other actor: don’t mimic me with falseness. I don’t appreciate it, and I get paid for doing stuff like that, so if you’re gonna do it without me, you’re robbing me.”
The current flashpoint for the debate and abhorrence of AI recreations in the film industry is the digital character Tilly Norwood. Though she’s not real and probably composites details of a few noteworthy figures, agencies are reportedly vying to sign her.
Freeman isn’t happy about that. “Nobody likes her because she’s not real and that takes the part of a real person, so it’s not going to work out very well in the movies or in television,” he said. “The union’s job is to keep actors acting, so there’s going to be that conflict.” Surely, but some are ready to embrace that conflict.
Freeman’s co-star in the Now You See Me movies and The Dark Knight trilogy, Michael Caine, is signing up to continue his legacy using AI. Along with Matthew McConaughey, Caine has signed a deal with an AI audio company, ElevenLabs, to have his Cockney cadence used in future projects involving audiobooks and narration, among other things.
Per Variety, Caine joins ElevenLabs’ Iconic Voice Marketplace to solve “a key ethical challenge in AI-driven media creation by enabling the ethical sourcing and licensing of some of the world’s most recognizable voices.”
Said Caine in a statement, “For years, I’ve lent my voice to stories that moved people – tales of courage, of wit, of the human spirit. Now, I’m helping others find theirs. With ElevenLabs, we can preserve and share voices – not just mine, but anyone’s. ElevenLabs is at the very forefront of technology, using innovation not to replace humanity, but to celebrate it.”
His statement continued, “ElevenLabs gives everyone the tools to be heard. It’s not about replacing voices; it’s about amplifying them, opening doors for new storytellers everywhere. I’ve spent a lifetime telling stories. ElevenLabs will help the next generation tell theirs.”
ElevenLabs co-founder Mati Staniszewski credited Caine as “an iconic creator and voice whose cultural and artistic consequence we hope will only be further championed through this platform.”
Staniszewski added his company and its marketplace “demonstrates how AI can responsibly expand opportunities for studio and talent, while enhancing storytelling.” Morgan Freeman might be shocked in chagrin to read all that.
However, he could soften his stance on AI one day if a platform like the Iconic Voice Marketplace allows him more authority over how his voice is harnessed, and if he wants it to stay productive for generations to come.
NEXT: Guillermo Del Toro Would “Rather Die” Than Stoop To Using Generative AI
