Nicolas Cage Expresses Deep Concerns Over AI and Digital Replication
Nicolas Cage, known for his diverse roles and intense performances, has voiced significant concerns about the encroaching presence of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry. During a recent interview with The New Yorker, while promoting his latest horror film “Longlegs,” Cage shared his apprehensions about AI and digital body scanning.
Cage revealed he had to cut the interview short to undergo two body scans, one for an upcoming show and another for a future movie. He explained, “Well, they have to put me in a computer and match my eye color and change — I don’t know. They’re just going to steal my body and do whatever they want with it via digital AI. … God, I hope not AI. I’m terrified of that. I’ve been very vocal about it.”
The actor pondered the future of artistic integrity in the face of such technological advances. “And it makes me wonder, you know, where will the truth of the artists end up? Is it going to be replaced? Is it going to be transmogrified? Where’s the heartbeat going to be? I mean, what are you going to do with my body and my face when I’m dead? I don’t want you to do anything with it.”
Rob Rosenberg, founder and principal of Telluride Legal Strategies, reassured that the actor’s concerns have been addressed to some extent by recent industry negotiations. “The strike last year and the negotiations that were done by SAG-AFTRA, this was a huge topic in those negotiations,” he said,” Rosenberg explained. “There are provisions in there talking about digital replicas. You need to consent to digital replicas being made, and then they’re presumably being made for a given project that someone is being hired on. And then once they’re created, if there’s an interest by a studio or producers to use that digital replica on other projects, they need to get your consent on use of that digital replica and, in most cases, you need to be compensated for that.”
Cage’s fears are not new. In December, during an interview with The Associated Press for his film “Dream Scenario,” he discussed the implications of signing away life rights. “I’ve tried to be very careful with that. It’s something that I’ve asked my team about, and there really was no reference point. It’s still something, as we know, that’s still being sorted through, but it scares the hell out of me. It really does,” he admitted.
The Oscar-winning actor has also criticized the posthumous use of celebrity likenesses through AI, describing it as “inhumane.” He referenced plans to digitally resurrect James Dean for a Vietnam War movie, saying, “To me, it’s inhumane, OK. It’s inhumane. It doesn’t get anymore inhumane than AI. People are going to lose jobs. And I’m sure he, from the beyond, would not be happy about it, you know?”
Indeed, an AI version of Dean is set to appear in a film titled “Back to Eden,” and in 2019, Magic City Films announced Dean’s role in “Finding Jack.” Mark Rosesler, attorney and business agent for Dean’s family, defended the decision, stating, “James Dean was perhaps the greatest actor of all time and is admired by fans around the world. Despite his untimely death at the age of 24, technology allows us to continue to honor Jimmy’s legacy and inspiration to so many people. We have represented his family for 38 years, and they are confident that Jimmy’s rebellious and trailblazing personality is consistent with being the first to fearlessly embrace this new technology for Hollywood. They are excited to be part of keeping his memory alive.”
As AI continues to evolve, the debate over its ethical implications in the entertainment industry grows more complex. Nicolas Cage’s candid remarks highlight the urgent need for clear guidelines and protections to preserve the integrity and rights of artists in this new digital age.
Written by Pixela Nova and ChatGPT from FilmSchool.AI
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