Artificial intelligence (AI) has changed the landscape of almost every single industry out there. When it comes to media and entertainment, the technology’s arrival has met with more animosity than warmth. In fact, AI replacing humans was one of the primary concerns put forward during the writers and actors’ strike in Hollywood. Another glaring issue with AI in film is how it can recreate deceased actors and bring them back to life on screen.
More than the legal red tape around this issue, the problem seems to be more ethical in nature. Is it morally right for studios to reimagine deceased actors using AI? Some surviving family members of these actors seem okay with it while many others have voiced out their concerns over the issue. Let’s explore the issue in detail and understand whether AI should be allowed to bring back dead actors to life.
How does AI recreate dead actors?
To get more clarity about the issue, it’s important to understand that it is not exclusively AI that is recreating deceased actors. While the emerging technology makes it easier, it’s mostly the use of other similar tools like deepfake that have made this practice possible over the years.
Combined with the power of AI which is at an all-time high, more movies will be able to visually resurrect actors who had died a long time ago. These digital clones can be manipulated to talk and interact with other living characters on screen.
The options for AI revival range from a flat 2D screen image of the artist to a completely immersive 3D character that can be used in interactive media like video games and augmented reality. This essentially gives them digital immortality.
In order to recreate deceased actors using AI, technicians use countless images and videos of the artists’ previous work which they call source material. Once they are scanned and processed, the possibilities are limitless.
If living actors willingly provide more data, their likenesses can be used for more engagement like interactive avatars that can send voice messages and even become your own digital friend.
SAG-AFTRA strike connection, explained
While most of the concerns against AI recreating deceased actors are ethical, some are more practically worrying. This includes the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike in Hollywood where most actors have rallied against the use of artificial intelligence in cinema.
Robin Williams’ daughter Zelda Williams says recreations of her late father made with artificial intelligence are “disturbing.” https://t.co/VBzU9guHjd
— CNN International (@cnni) October 2, 2023
Late actor Robin Williams’ daughter Zelda has specifically called out AI’s resurrection of dead actors (including her father) as disturbing. Notably, his character Genie’s voice from Aladdin had been replicated and used to sell merchandise even when he was alive.
Writers are worried that AI will be able to produce full scripts which will leave them without jobs. Actors, on the other hand, face a possibility of working for just one day’s pay and not being compensated for their image being used an indefinite number of times.
There is no proper framework that can stop studios from changing an actor’s dialogues or create new scenes with them without their consent. This is more serious when it comes to deceased actors whose rights remain with their estate.
Voice actors in particular face more risk since it’s virtually impossible for a common audience member to distinguish between an actual voice actor and AI. This is also a concern in the music industry where voices of late artists like John Lennon or Michael Jackson are used to make covers of contemporary songs.
Notable examples of AI resurrecting deceased actors
James Dean may have died almost seventy years ago at the age of 24 but his impact as a style icon still lives on. Now, he has been cast in an upcoming movie called Back to Eden. While the news sounds impossible, it is, in fact, true.
The late actor’s likeness was used to create a James Dean digital clone who will star in the movie. The problem lies in the fact that we will never know if the ‘Rebel Without A Cause’ star would have been okay with this happening.
The most significant examples of deceased actors coming back to life on screen are from franchises like Star Wars and Fast and the Furious where Carrie Fisher and Paul Walker were digitally revived, respectively, after their deaths.
While posthumous revival is not a bad option in case an actor dies in the middle of production or just before an upcoming sequel, studios have to draw a line where they should stop demanding their services after their death.
Tom Hanks has said that he might continue working beyond his lifespan while Susan Sarandon has also said that AI could make her say and do things that she has no control over.
Non-AI alternatives to deceased actors
The best solution to this ethical problem is to do what studios did before there was no artificial intelligence to save them. Ideally, if the character needs to be there to serve the story or franchise, they could recast someone else to play it.
An even better option would be to retire the character in honor of the deceased actor. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is an appropriate example of how they did not resort to recreating the late Chadwick Boseman and instead paid a moving tribute.
Furthermore, the estates of deceased actors should also be firm in their stance, like in the case of Robin Williams. While pre-recorded material can be used with consent in future projects, it is unethical to make non-living people talk and behave according to worldly demands.
Intellectual property laws need to be strengthened when it comes to the rights of deceased actors and how AI can manipulate them. Otherwise, studios get a hall pass to do whatever they want with the artists’ likenesses.
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