Source: El Economista

Tom Hanks has once again raised the issue of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the entertainment industry. Last week, the renowned actor posted on his personal Instagram account an alert to his followers about an advertisement that apparently used his image to promote a dental plan, emphasizing through this platform that the image in the commercial was in fact an AI-generated creation and that he never gave his consent for its use.

Hanks also highlighted the legal concerns that arise in relation to; the ability of AI to recreate any individual, at any stage of their life; intellectual property; and who has the right to control and profit from these AI-generated depictions.

In this regard, one of the main concerns in the entertainment industry is how AI could allow fake versions of actors to continue performing indefinitely, which is one of the reasons why the controversy over the use of AI in entertainment was tempered, gaining prominence in the midst of the US writers’ strike, which recently came to an end.

It is worth noting that one of the areas of conflict during the protest was the fear that unregulated AI could undermine the work of creatives. Generative AI programmes burst onto the industry scene at the end of last year, demonstrating their ability to create essays, poems and conversations from short prompts.

It is undeniable that AI models have added functionalities such as generating digital images on demand, raising fears that the technology is being used to create fake photos and videos that trick people into believing they are real. This is in a context where, so far, there is no a strong regulation preventing companies from using artificial intelligence without any control and generally for unethical purposes that violate the rights of artists.