Morgan Freeman calls AI deepfake a 'scam' after his voice is replicated on TikTok
With one of the most discernible voices in Hollywood, Morgan Freeman certainly has his money where his mouth is.
So, it's no surprise that the revered actor took issue with a video circulating on the social platform TikTok, with a voice that was packaged as his own.
"Welcome to my niece's day-in-life, narrated by me, Morgan Freeman," the video begins. The creator captioned her post in part, "Uncle Mo has been booked and busy, but i finally got him to narrate my trip!"
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Although the user did include the hashtag "ai," some users still fell for the replication of Freeman's voice.
The "Million Dollar Baby" actor took to his social media to thank his supporters for alerting him to the video, stressing the importance of reporting unauthorized AI use.
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"Thank you to my incredible fans for your vigilance and support in calling out the unauthorized use of an A.I. voice imitating me," he wrote to his Facebook. "Your dedication helps authenticity and integrity remain paramount. Grateful. #AI #scam #imitation #IdentityProtection."
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Unfortunately for Freeman, this isn't the first time his name and likeness have been used without his permission. The EVP of Freeman's production company, Revelations, was previously sent a video (by her cousins) that seemingly showed her boss firing her.
"I could tell it wasn’t real," said Lori McCreary while in attendance at the Produced By panel today "AI: What Every Producer Needs to Know," per Deadline. But a second incident nearly tricked her.
McCreary says she was sent a video of Freeman seemingly promoting a book. McCreary thought the deepfake was so legitimate, that she called the actor's makeup artist to confirm whether it was real or not.
In 2021, a video titled "This is Not Morgan Freeman" went viral online, which depicted Freeman in both video and audio form. The video highlighted the advancements in artifical intelligence, promoting immense conversation.
Several celebrities, including Taylor Swift and Tom Cruise, have also been subjected to AI deepfakes.