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Morgan Freeman said his lawyers are already “very, very busy” tackling unauthorized artificial intelligence (AI) uses of his voice that have left the actor feeling “a little PO’d.”
“Many, yeah. Quite a few,” Freeman told The Guardian on Monday when asked about ongoing cases.
While promoting his latest film, “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” the 88-year-old actor discussed his views on artificial intelligence replicating actors’ voices after their deaths, such as the late James Earl Jones.
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Jones had given Lucasfilm permission to continue using his voice as Darth Vader through AI technology before his death, but Freeman strongly disagreed with the idea.
“I’m a little PO’d, you know,” Freeman said. “I’m like any other actor: don’t mimic me with falseness. I don’t appreciate it and I get paid for doing stuff like that, so if you’re gonna do it without me, you’re robbing me.”
Freeman also criticized the creation of AI actress “Tilly Norwood,” which sparked widespread condemnation from actors’ unions when she was introduced in September.
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“Nobody likes her because she’s not real and that takes the part of a real person, so it’s not going to work out very well in the movies or in television … The union’s job is to keep actors acting, so there’s going to be that conflict,” Freeman said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Freeman’s representative for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Freeman has been subjected to several AI deepfakes over the years and has spoken out against its uses. In 2024, he thanked his social media followers for reporting an AI video using his voice on TikTok.
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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.”
During the interview, Freeman also discussed his iconic voice, describing how he developed it with the help of a diction instructor at his Los Angeles community college.
“If you’re going to speak, speak distinctly, hit your final consonants and do exercises to lower your voice,” Freeman said. “Most people’s voices are higher than they would be normally if they knew how to relax it. He taught that sort of thing. It was Robert Whitman: I will never forget him.“
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