Morgan Freeman is not a fan of AI’s infiltration into the entertainment industry.

As more companies seek more efficient processes, they have continuously adopted and integrated AI into various operations. Recently, the general public has begun to rely on AI through tools like ChatGPT, reaching 100 million users in just a two-month span, according to KPMG.

As Blavity reported, AI-generated singer Xania Monet recently landed a multi-million dollar record deal. In a recent interview, Freeman slammed AI, especially regarding his distinct voice. 

Morgan Freeman’s fight against AI

Freeman talked with The Guardian to promote his upcoming film, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, which hit theaters this weekend. During the conversation, he expressed his disdain for AI being able to replicate his distinct voice.

“I’m a little PO’d, you know,” he told the publication. “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 shared that his legal team has been “busy” because his voice is being used in AI-generated content without his consent.

“Well, I tell you, my lawyers have been very, very busy,” he said.

Morgan Freeman is advocating for real performers as AI rises in popularity

As someone who grew up in modest circumstances, Freeman, who’s 88, worked hard to get to where he is today, so he’s not a fan of inauthenticity. In his interview with The Guardian, he criticized Tilly Norwood, a fully digital character widely promoted as the first “AI actor” that was introduced to the public in September.

“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,” he said.

Still hungry to work, Freeman doesn’t plan to slow down any time soon, and he just wants the art to be respected: “The appetite is still there. I will concede that it’s dimmed a little. But not enough to make a serious difference.”