[Lauren]

HOLLYWOOD IS STRIKING BACK AGAINST ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REPLACING ACTORS.

ROBERT DOWNEY JUNIOR IS THE LATEST STAR MAKING IT CLEAR HE DOESN’T WANT HIS LIKENESS RECREATED BY A-I. ON A RECENT EPISODE OF THE “ON WITH KARA SWISHER” PODCAST, THE ACTOR SAID HE WOULD SUE ALL EXECUTIVES WHO ALLOW AN A-I CREATED VERSION OF HIM.

WHEN TALKING ABOUT HIS ROLE AS IRON MAN … DOWNEY JUNIOR SAID THAT WHILE HE DOESN’T THINK MARVEL EXECUTIVES WOULD EVER RECREATE HIS PORTRAYAL OF TONY STARK … HE WOULD SUE THEM IF THEY TRIED – EVEN AFTER HE DIES. 

Robert: “I am not worried about them hijacking my character’s soul because there’s like three or four guys and gals who make all the decisions there anyway and they would never do that to me, with or without me.”

Kara: But future executives certainly will.

Robert: “Well, you’re right …I would like to here state that I intend to sue all future executives just on spec.”

Kara: “You’ll be dead, Robert.

Robert: I know, but my law firm will still be very active.”

THEIR DISCUSSION COMES AS HOLLYWOOD VIDEO GAME PERFORMERS STRIKE OVER A-I PROTECTIONS. 

LAST YEAR, SAG-AFTRA LED A STRIKE OVER THE SAME ISSUE WHICH LASTED FOUR MONTHS.

SAG-AFTRA ULTIMATELY SIGNED A DEAL REQUIRING PRODUCTIONS TO GET THE INFORMED CONSENT OF ACTORS WHOSE DIGITAL REPLICAS ARE USED. 

A SPOKESPERSON FOR SAG-AFTRA SAYS DOWNEY JUNIOR CAN DENY USE OF ANY DIGITAL REPLICA IN MOVIES BECAUSE OF CALIFORNIA’S NEW LAW PROHIBITING THE UNAUTHORIZED 

REPLICATION OF A DEAD PERFORMER’S LIKENESS WITH PRIOR CONSENT. 

DOWNEY JUNIOR’S LATEST PROJECT IS A BROADWAY PRODUCTION TITLED “MCNEAL” WHICH IS ABOUT THE WAY A-I IS DISRUPTING THE WORLD OF LITERATURE AND ADDRESSES QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW A-I IS IMPACTING CREATIVITY. 

FOR SAN I’M … LAUREN TAYLOR.

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