2 October 2023
David Matthews | New York Daily News
Tom Hanks is warning his fans that an “AI version” of him is hawking dental plans on social media.
In an Instagram post over the weekend, Hanks posted a screengrab of a promotional video where his younger, computer-generated likeness pitches teeth cleaning services.
“BEWARE!! There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing to do with it,” Hanks wrote.
The Academy Award-winning actor’s warning comes in the midst of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike which, in part, concerns how studios will — or won’t — use artificial intelligence in film and TV production, though the contract the union is currently negotiating with producers does not pertain to commercials. The recently ended WGA strike also hinged on the use of AI in scriptwriting.
Hanks himself has been vocal about AI in recent months.
In an appearance on “The Adam Buxton Podcast” in May, Hanks shared that Hollywood contracts were being rewritten to equate an actor’s likeness with intellectual property.
“Anybody can now recreate themselves at any age they are by way of AI or deep fake technology. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and that’s it, but performances can go on and on and on and on,” Hanks said. “Outside the understanding of AI and deepfake, there’ll be nothing to tell you that it’s not me and me alone. And it’s going to have some degree of lifelike quality. That’s certainly an artistic challenge but it’s also a legal one.”
“This is something that is literally part and parcel to what’s going on in the realm of intellectual property rights right now. This has always been lingering,” Hanks said.