Nicolas Cage continues to share his fear of artificial intelligence in Hollywood.
At the 25th Newport Beach Film Festival on Sunday, the actor gave a speech before the Icon Award reception during the Honors Brunch where he emphasized the need to control your own image and performance as AI grows in popularity with studios.
“There’s a new technology in town. It’s technology that I didn’t have to contend with for 42 years until recently. But these 10 young actors, this generation, most definitely will, and they call it ‘EBDR.’ This technology wants to take your instrument as a movie actor. We don’t hide guitars and drums,” Cage said, per Deadline.
EBDR stands for “employment-based digital replica,” one of two digital replicas allowed after a deal struck by the SAG-AFTRA union and the studio after a second strike last year.
WHAT DOES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) MEAN?
According to the rules in the contract, “EBDR is one that is created in connection with your work in the film” and may require a scan of the actor’s body. Compensation is based on how much the player will work in person for the digital imitation scene used in, and the player who has residual rights from the appearance of the imitation in the finished product.
“Studios want this so they can change your face after you’ve shot it – they can change your face, they can change your voice, they can change your line delivery, they can change your body language, they can change your performance,” Cage warned.
“This technology wants to take your instruments. We are the instruments as the movie actors.”
He continued, “I ask you, if you approach the studio to sign a contract, allowing them to use EBDR in your performance, I want you to consider what I call ‘MVMFMBMI’ – my voice, my face. , my body, my imagination – my performance, as a response.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
The Oscar winner has also expressed his concerns about the technology several times.
In July, during an interview with The New Yorker, Cage said he had to leave to do a “scan” for the upcoming role, but admitted the concept made him nervous.
“Well, they’re going to put me in a computer and match my eye color and change – I don’t know. They’re just going to steal my body and do whatever they want through digital AI. … God, I hope it’s not AI, I’m so scared about it,” he said in an interview.
ARE YOU WHO YOU ARE? CLICK HERE for more entertainment news
“And I’m wondering, you know, where’s the artist’s justification? Are they going to change? Are they going to be transmogrified? Where’s their heartbeat?”
“I mean, what are you going to do with my body and my face when I’m dead? I don’t want you to do anything,” he said.
The actor also told The Associated Press in an interview in December 2023 that he was concerned about his right to life, and the use of celebrities after death by AI, calling the digital recreation “inhumane.”
WATCH: AI EXPERTS HOW TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING SO THAT AI DEEPFAKES.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Someone has the rights to James Dean now. They can put him in a Vietnam movie, which is what they’re doing. … To me, it’s inhumane, OK. It’s inhumane. instead of AI. People are going to lose their jobs and I’m sure he wouldn’t be happy, you know?” Cage insisted.
Last year, the BBC reported that an AI version of Dean would appear in a film titled “Back to Eden.” In 2019, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Magic City Films announced that the latter actor would play the role in the movie “Finding Jack”, but it ended up falling through.