TLDR: Veteran actor Morgan Freeman has issued a stern rebuke against the use of artificial intelligence to clone his distinctive voice without permission, equating the practice to theft. His legal team is actively pursuing numerous cases of unauthorized AI voice replication, and Freeman also voiced strong opposition to AI-generated actors, highlighting concerns about authenticity and the displacement of human talent in the entertainment industry.
Hollywood icon Morgan Freeman, renowned for his distinctive and authoritative voice, has publicly expressed his profound displeasure regarding the unauthorized use of artificial intelligence to replicate his vocal likeness. The 88-year-old actor views such AI cloning as a direct infringement on his identity and a form of “robbing” him of his life’s work. “I’m a little PO’d, you know. I’m like any other actor: don’t mimic me with falseness,” Freeman stated in an interview with The Guardian. “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.”
Freeman revealed that his legal team is “very, very busy” pursuing “quite a few” cases of AI companies and individuals replicating his voice without consent. This ongoing legal action underscores the seriousness with which he approaches the issue of digital identity theft in the burgeoning AI landscape. He emphasized that an actor’s voice is an integral part of their identity, honed through decades of experience and emotion, not something to be easily downloaded and faked.
Beyond voice cloning, Freeman also criticized the emergence of AI-generated actors, specifically mentioning “AI actress” Tilly Norwood. He asserted that “Nobody likes her because she’s not real and that takes the part of a real person, so it is not going to work out very well in the movies or in television.” This stance highlights a broader concern within the acting community about AI’s potential to displace human performers and undermine the authenticity of the craft. He noted that the union’s role is to protect actors, foreseeing a conflict with AI-driven trends.
This is not the first time Freeman has addressed the issue. In June of the previous year, he publicly thanked his fans on X (formerly Twitter) for alerting him to unauthorized AI voice usage, writing, “Your dedication helps authenticity and integrity remain paramount. Grateful. #AI #scam #imitation #IdentityProtection.”
Reflecting on the development of his iconic voice, Freeman recalled advice from his community college instructor, Robert Whitman, who taught him to “speak distinctly, hit your final consonants and do exercises to lower your voice.” He believes many people’s voices are higher than they naturally would be if they learned to relax them.
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Freeman’s strong message resonates with a growing number of celebrities, including Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johansson, who are advocating for stricter regulations to protect performers from voice and likeness theft in the age of AI. Despite these industry challenges, Freeman, who is also promoting his upcoming film “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” remains committed to his acting career, stating, “The appetite is still there. It’s dimmed a little — but not enough to stop.”
