There is a fear in Hollywood (and there should be) that eventually AI, aka artificial intelligence, is going to replace actors, or at the very least use their likeness in movie roles. It really is only a matter of time.
Already, a handful of films and TV projects have used AI (especially deepfake-style tools) to substitute, recreate, or digitally alter actors. It is important to note that SO FAR, this is a partial replacement (faces, voices, or age), not fully replaced human performance from end-to-end. I guess that is some sort of “silver lining.” The thing is, while it ain’t at your door yet, it’s in the car riding to your crib!
Some of the most notable examples are :
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
The late actor Peter Cushing was digitally “resurrected” as Grand Moff Tarkin using advanced CGI and AI-assisted facial techniques. Carrie Fisher’s younger Princess Leia was also recreated.
The Mandalorian / The Book of Boba Fett
A young version of Luke Skywalker was created using deepfake-style AI layered over an actor’s performance, essentially substituting Mark Hamill’s younger face.
Here
This film used generative AI to de-age Tom Hanks and Robin Wright in real time. Meaning their faces were digitally altered during filming, instead of traditional post-production CGI.
The Greatest of All Time
AI deepfake technology was used to create a younger version of actor Vijay, effectively substituting his face onto another performer for flashback scenes.
Black Mirror Did an Episode Touching on This Subject
You know, they also made a Black Mirror episode on Netflix about this very subject? The episode featuring Miley Cyrus is titled Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too.
The story follows a lonely teenager named Rachel who idolizes pop superstar Ashley O (Cyrus) and buys an AI-powered doll called “Ashley Too,” designed to act as a cheerful companion modeled after the singer. Unbeknownst to the public, Ashley O is controlled by Ashley’s manipulative aunt and management team, who use technology to suppress her true personality and exploit her for profit.
When Ashley falls into a coma due to their interference, the AI doll becomes “unlocked,” revealing a more authentic version of Ashley’s thoughts and personality. Teenage Rachel and her rebellious sister Jack then team up with the doll to uncover the truth, ultimately helping free the real Ashley from her handlers.
The episode explores themes of celebrity control, the ethics of AI replicas, and the commercialization of identity.
Bollywood Gets Bold With AI
In a cost-cutting move, Indian film studios are using AI to slash production time and cut costs, thus building the moviemaking future that Hollywood is trying to prevent.
In the United States, union contracts restrict American studios’ use of AI. Bollywood doesn’t give a sh*t, and is moving ahead, and reshaping the economics of filmmaking. They are not only saving money by not paying actors. But they are compressing production timelines as well.
The Collective Artists Network, a Bollywood A-list talent agency that has brokered the careers of real-life Indian superstars, is now generating digital ones using AI to create content popular in India. This is a big deal, as India produces the most movies of any country in the world.
“AI is slashing production costs to one-fifth of what they used to be for traditional filmmaking in genres such as mythology and fantasy,” said Rahul Regulapati, the head of Galleri5. Galleri5 is the AI studio that works under the Collective Arts Network umbrella. When it comes to production time, Regulapati told Reuters it’s been slashed “down to a quarter.”
The change in audience habits is tightening production budgets, industry insiders say. In a shocking turn last year, the number of moviegoers fell to 832 million people, down from 1.03 billion in 2019.
What is Bollywood Doing?
Studios in India have responded by deploying artificial intelligence in their films at a scale that hasn’t been seen anywhere else in the world, even producing entire AI-generated films.
India has 22 official languages and hundreds of dialects throughout the country. This makes dubbing crucial for any movie becoming a national hit. Audiences have never liked the mismatched lip movement. This is a problem that Indian film studios are hoping to solve with the use of artificial intelligence.
Over a short amount of time, AI could boost the revenue of Indian media and entertainment firms by 10% and reduce costs by 15%, according to industry insiders.
Vikram Malhotra, founder of Abundantia Entertainment, says that his Bollywood production house is currently building its AI capabilities from scratch. He is expecting the AI-generated content to account for one-third of the company’s revenue within three years.
As for the Collective Artists Network, they have been working with Microsoft, and the software giant is providing AI computing power to help “shape the next wave of global storytelling.”
But that is the difference between Bollywood and Hollywood. At this present moment, Hollywood is just not able to embrace AI in the same ways India has. And OMG, boo-hoo, you can’t replace the humans yet due to union agreements and fears of job displacement. Don’t get too comfortable, Hollywood. The moment they can, they will.
Hollywood’s only protection currently is that the Screen Actors Guild prohibits US studios from digitally altering an actor’s performance or creating replicas without the star’s informed consent.
Obviously, this isn’t going to stay this way. And the fact that Bollywood has made the push that it has will only make the greedy swine in Hollywood want to push that much faster to follow right in line with the Bollywood model. Time will tell. It’s going to happen. We will see when.
You’re a f*cking hack dude