BRUH
Action movie legend Bruce Willis has just become the first Hollywood actor to sell his rights to the possibility of a "digital twin" to the US firm Deepcake, according to The Telegraph. With the use of deepfake technology, Willis has offered his likeness to be used onscreen for future projects, following his first experience with the digital media manipulation in a commercial for Russian phone service, MegaFon, last year.
Deepfake technology allows for the use of a person's likeness to be superimposed over another individual. Through the use of machine learning and AI, it's possible to create a visual and audio "twin" of someone in videos. Though the ability to recreate someone so nearly-flawlessly does raise a few ethical questions, the technology has already been utilized within the Star Wars universe with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, as well as The Mandalorian Season 2. In 2021, Willis gave permission to Deepcake in order to appear in a commercial, allowing his face to be "digitally transplanted onto another performer." Now, the actor has officially sold the rights to his likeness to be essentially "hired" by Deepcake for future productions.
Recently, the 67-year-old actor went public with his diagnosis of aphasia, which is described as a language disorder that causes issues with reading, listening, and speaking. He and his family made an announcement in March that Willis would be "stepping away" from acting after over four decades of films, which was no easy decision for the star. With the use of deepfake technology, Willis was able to make a cameo in a Russian commercial only last year without ever stepping foot on a set. On his experience with Deepcake, Willis said:
"I liked the precision with which my character turned out. It's a mini-movie in my usual action-comedy genre. For me, it is a great opportunity to go back in time.
With the advent of modern technology, even when I was on another continent, I was able to communicate, work and participate in the filming. It's a very new and interesting experience, and I thank our entire team."