Renowned Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks has taken to Instagram to alert his fans to a concerning online trend. The beloved thespian shared a computer-generated, deep fake representation of himself over the weekend, accompanied by a cautionary message regarding a dental plan advertisement that features an artificial intelligence (AI) version of his likeness.
In a sternly worded post, Hanks wrote, “BEWARE!! There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing to do with it.” The image featured a CGI rendition of Hanks alongside his message.
Discussing AI
This episode is not the first time Hanks has touched on the topic of artificial intelligence and deepfake technology’s infiltration into the creative industries. During an appearance on “The Adam Buxton Podcast,” he discussed the remarkable advancements that allow AI to perpetuate his acting legacy even after his demise.
Hanks mused, “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.” He acknowledged that distinguishing between AI and reality poses artistic and legal challenges. He pointed out, “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.” Hanks highlighted that various professional bodies, agencies, and legal entities are presently deliberating the “legal ramifications of my face and my voice and everybody else’s being our intellectual property.”
Moreover, Hanks noted, “Without a doubt, people will be able to tell [that it’s AI], but the question is will they care? There are some people that won’t care, that won’t make that delineation.”
He is also not the sole victim of deepfake impersonation in the celebrity realm.
Mr Beast gets Faked
YouTube sensation MrBeast, known offstage as Jimmy Donaldson, has also fallen prey to this rising trend. He voiced his concerns on X (formerly known as Twitter), expressing apprehension about whether social media platforms are equipped to combat the proliferation of fake AI advertisements. This comes in response to a deceptive TikTok ad that featured a deepfake of MrBeast offering $2 iPhones.
In his post, MrBeast lamented, “Lots of people are getting this deepfake scam ad of me… are social media platforms ready to handle the rise of AI deepfakes? This is a serious problem.” When approached for a statement, a representative for MrBeast directed NBC News to the social media post.
Deepfakes, which involve the replacement of a person’s face with another, have grown increasingly sophisticated, making it more challenging to distinguish fabricated images and videos from real ones.
While the offending MrBeast ad has since been removed from TikTok, the platform refrained from commenting on the matter, instead directing NBC News to its advertising policies. These guidelines stipulate that “Synthetic or manipulated media showing realistic scenes must be clearly disclosed or labelled in the video.”
Although the MrBeast ad was not without its flaws, featuring occasional lip-sync errors, it serves as a stark reminder of the growing realism and deceptive potential that AI has to offer.
