Actress Lisa Kudrow recently expressed apprehension about the growing use of artificial intelligence in Hollywood, particularly after seeing its application in Robert Zemeckis's film "Here," starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright. The movie employed AI technology to depict the actors aging from their teenage years to old age.
Kudrow, speaking on the "Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard" podcast, voiced her concerns about the potential displacement of actors, especially newcomers, as AI-driven techniques become more common. She questioned the future of human employment in general, pondering whether a universal basic income would become necessary in a world where AI handles many jobs.
Hanks, on the other hand, while acknowledging the use of AI in "Here" to create age-progressed and regressed versions of himself and Wright, viewed the technology more as a filmmaking tool than a threat. He explained how AI was used to match their current appearances with photographs from their younger years, creating realistic depictions of them at different ages. He noted that traditional makeup and hair techniques were still necessary alongside the AI technology.
Hanks also mentioned an interesting side effect of working with AI-generated imagery. He observed that their speech, which felt natural during filming, appeared unusually slow in playback when viewed alongside the AI-generated younger versions of themselves.
Despite his generally positive view of AI in filmmaking, Hanks has personally experienced the downsides of the technology. He's had to caution fans about fraudulent online advertisements that used AI to generate his likeness and voice to promote products without his consent. He emphasized that he had no involvement with these ads and urged people not to be misled by them.
