Entertainment

Morgan Freeman thanks fans for highlighting ‘scam’ AI version of his voice

He is one of many Hollywood stars that have seen their tones replicated by technology.

Morgan Freeman thanked people for raising the issue
Morgan Freeman thanked people for raising the issue (Yui Mok/PA)
By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

Morgan Freeman thanked his fans for alerting him that his voice had been recreated using artificial intelligence (AI).

The Oscar-winning American actor, 87, is one of many Hollywood stars that have seen their tones replicated by technology.

Freeman wrote on X: “Thank you to my incredible fans for your vigilance and support in calling out the unauthorised use of an A.I. voice imitating me.

“Your dedication helps authenticity and integrity remain paramount. Grateful. #AI #scam #imitation #IdentityProtection.”

It is unclear what issue with AI that the actor, known for The Shawshank Redemption, Driving Miss Daisy and Million Dollar Baby, was making in the post.

There have been reports of a TikTok influencer appearing to recreate Freeman’s voice using technology, while joking that she is the actor’s niece.

A deepfake artist also created an AI generated video of Freeman in 2022.

Freeman has lent his voice to documentaries including the Oscar winning documentary March Of The Penguins, and the more recent narration on the nature programmes Life On Our Planet and Our Universe, as well as several advertisements.

Earlier this year, Scarlett Johansson expressed being  “shocked” and “angered” at how “eerily similar” one of the voices in ChatGPT sounded to hers.

In response, OpenAI said it will “pause” the use of one of the voices in ChatGPT after it drew comparisons with the Hollywood actress.

Johansson said OpenAI “reluctantly” agreed to take down the Sky voice after she hired lawyers who wrote to the artificial intelligence giant’s chief executive Sam Altman, asking about the process by which the company came up with the voice.

OpenAI dismissed the accusation saying that it is not AI and “belongs to a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice”.

In January, social media platform X had to temporarily block searches linked to Taylor Swift after fake, AI-generated explicit images of the pop star were posted to the site.