Hollywood actor Bruce Willis is retiring, but will still appear in projects through deepfake technology after selling his rights to his "digital twin".
Following his retirement, Willis signed a deal with AI company Deepcake to use his likeness in replicating a realistic digital dopplegänger, according to Ars Technica.
Read More: Deepfakes: Cybercriminals' Latest Weapon in Cyber Attacks, Research Says
Willis Will Live On Through AI
With a degenerative cognitive disorder that impedes his communication and language, the Die Hard star is physically backing out of projects, but will continue appearing in future films, advertisements, and other projects.
In an article by Engadget, it is stated that Deepcake engineers have created a digital drawing of Willis from his movies, when he was younger, and the image can be grafted similar to his face in an instant.
The Telegraph reports that after stepping away from acting earlier this year due to an aphasia diagnosis, Willis released a statement on Deepcake's website on allowing the company to digitally transplant his face onto another performer.
"I liked the precision with which my character turned out," Willis said, adding that it was a great opportunity that allows him to go back in time. "It's a mini-movie in my usual action-comedy genre."
"With the advent of modern technology, even when I was on another continent, I was able to communicate, work and participate in the filming," he concluded.
However, even though Deepcake owns the right to Willis' artificial image, his estate will still have the final say and approval on any of his future projects.
Willis' Deepfakes Paves Way for AI Castings
The use of AI-generated images of famous people has been popular on social media, however unauthorized, and Deepcake is striking deals to formally own rights to these AI recreations as reported by Gizmodo.
With the advent of technology, AI images make improvements in the traditional casting process by allowing people to be present without having to actually be there, and it is changing the game.
Aging actors who want to stay on the job but are sidelined by illness can benefit from deepfakes if they are willing to involve themselves in facial digitization. Recently, the deepfakes technology has already been used in a Star Wars spin-off, and in a Russian phone commercial featuring Willis, Games Radar says.
Additionally, this development in the film industry may have opened the windows of possibly morphing the past and the present if creative AI companies like Deepcake can get rights to the stars living and dead.
Tech to The Future Director Sandro Monetti tells Metro that actors of today could be on-screen with classical movie stars with the help of AI, and that there could even be biopics with the icons' own faces if permitted.
Despite this, it is undeniable that the AI technology can still use a lot of improvements as there are issues left to be addressed such as unnaturally stiff facial expressions and dead eyes among other issues, according to Engadget.
Related Article: How to Spot Deepfake Images and Video in 5 Simple Steps
