Nicolas Cage voices concerns over AI’s impact on acting at Newport Beach Film Festival

In a speech delivered at the 25th Newport Beach Film Festival, renowned actor Nicolas Cage expressed his apprehensions and concerns about the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) in the film industry. The event, which took place on Sunday, saw Cage being honoured with the Icon Award during the festival’s Honors Brunch. His address highlighted the challenges posed by AI technology to the authenticity of actors’ performances.

Cage’s primary focus was on the concept of “employment-based digital replicas” (EBDR), a novel technology recently ratified through a contract agreement between the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA and the studios following dual strikes the previous year. This technology allows for the creation of digital replicas in connection with an actor’s employment on a motion picture, requiring in some cases detailed body scans of performers. The compensation for using such replicas is structured to reflect the amount of work the performer would have done in person, with additional residuals due for appearances made by the digital version in final productions.

The actor voiced his concerns about the potential for filmmakers to digitally alter actors’ performances post-production, including changes to facial expressions, voice, and body language. He urged fellow actors to contemplate the implications of signing contracts permitting the use of EBDRs, emphasizing the need to protect what he described as “my voice, my face, my body, my imagination” – elements he considers integral to an actor’s craft.

This is not the first time Cage has spoken out about AI and its impact on Hollywood. In a July interview with The New Yorker, Cage shared his discomfort with the requirement to undergo digital scans for a forthcoming role, describing the process as unnerving and likening it to having his likeness co-opted by digital AI. He questioned the future of artistic truth and authenticity in a digital age where artificial recreations might undermine the genuine essence of an actor’s performance.

Further elaborating on his thoughts in a December interview with The Associated Press, Cage raised ethical questions surrounding the use of AI to recreate deceased actors for film roles, a concept he labelled as “inhumane.” He cited the example of James Dean, for whom digital rights have been secured to star posthumously in a film project titled “Back to Eden”, noting the disquiet this practice presents for the preservation of an artist’s legacy after death.

The subject of digital replicas and AI-rendered performances continues to be a contentious issue in the film industry. While technology offers innovative possibilities for storytelling, it also raises significant ethical and creative questions. Cage’s remarks contribute to an ongoing debate about the balance between technological advancement and the preservation of artistic integrity in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Source: Noah Wire Services