Unsurprisingly, artificial intelligence has become a controversial topic, especially in terms of what it does and how it is used. According to Forbes, film companies such as 20th Century Fox have been confirmed to use AI to analyze movie scripts.
In theory, AI is a very helpful tool for the film industry, saving production teams time and money when creating new films. However, the way some companies choose to utilize AI by taking an actor’s voice or face without their knowledge is tricky. Actors, from those at North to those in Hollywood, have varying thoughts on the subject.
“I do believe that there are positives to AI in the theatre world. The use of AI voicing is one example. Maybe AI could be used for stunt doubling, putting other people’s faces on actors who couldn’t make the shoot or had a complication,” said Maya Cassell, senior.
In the creation of “TopGun: Maverick,” actor Val Kimmer, who portrays Lt. Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, had throat cancer making him unable to speak when acting. The production team used Sonatic, an AI voice platform, to speak Kimmer’s lines for him. Kimmer remarked feeling emotional being able to hear his voice again after getting treatment for his cancer.
“This is tough because AI can be used in different ways including scene design, voice and face alteration, all the way to completely replacing an actor,” said Ryan Colton, English and drama teacher. “I would say that if AI is being used to enhance an actor like the de-aging Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, then the actor should approve. No artist should be used without their permission.”
All of AI’s helpful tools to help the film industry, if not used with the actors’ consent, can also hurt the industry and its actors. In a CNN article, Scarlett Johansson shared her thoughts on an AI-generated video that used the actress’s voice to respond to Kanye West’s antisemitic tweets. She commented on how “terrifying” it was to not be protected from people using AI to make her say something she never said.
AI is most known as a tool that makes work more efficient, but with some ease, AI takes away the work some actors, writers, editors, post production teams and more have spent most of their lives practicing for.
“I am very passionate about acting. I work acting every day. If I’m in a play, I usually have rehearsal for it every day after school,” said Lincoln Pixton, junior. “And I have to spend a lot of time memorizing lines and doing character work.”
The future of AI’s influence in the film industry is very uncertain as to whether it will be positive or negative. All we know is at its current stage it can replicate an actor’s voice or persona, but it cannot be fully original. It is an algorithm at its core that learns from humanity the skills we have or the emotions we feel. If AI is advanced enough to act out emotions like human actors, then it will be both an innovative technological achievement and increase the fear of AI stealing people’s jobs.
“I think empathy is a huge factor for me. A lot of actors say they like being other people, but I somewhat disagree with that statement because an actor is never fully someone else. Their identity always plays a role in their perception of the character, and that takes empathy. Good actors improve listening skills,” said Colton. “It’s about listening to your partners and genuinely reacting. Again, take empathy. I think studying acting can actually make us better people. It forces us to understand and maybe even have tolerance for other lifestyles and beliefs.”
