Tom Hanks warns of an AI version of him used to promote dental plan: ‘I have nothing to do with it’

Tom Hanks has warned fans after an AI version of him was used in a dental plan ad without his consent. Photo / Getty Images

Tom Hanks has warned fans that his AI-likeness appears in an advertisement without permission.

The Elvis actor has hit out at an advert for a dental plan that he appears to feature in, insisting the replica is fake and he didn’t authorise the use of his virtual doppelganger.

He wrote on Instagram alongside a screenshot from the ad: “BEWARE!! There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing to do with it.”

The 67-year-old actor previously expressed his concerns about the rise in AI and how there could be a series of movies fronted by him even after his death.

Tom Hanks has issued a warning after an AI-generated version of the actor was used to promote a dental plan. Photo / Instagram

Speaking on the Adam Buxton Podcast, he said: “I can tell you that there is discussions going on in all of the guilds, all of the agencies, and all of the legal firms in order to come up with the legal ramifications of my face and my voice and everybody else’s being our intellectual property.

“What is a bona fide possibility right now is, if I wanted to, I could get together and pitch a series of seven movies that would star me in them in which I would be 32 years old from now until kingdom come.

“Anybody can now recreate themselves at any age they are by way of AI or deep fake technology. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and that’s it, but performances can go on and on and on and on,” adding, “Outside the understanding of AI and deep fake, there’ll be nothing to tell you that it’s not me and me alone.

“And it’s going to have some degree of lifelike quality. That’s certainly an artistic challenge but it’s also a legal one.”

The The Castaway star acknowledged an AI-generated version of himself could end up appearing in projects he wouldn’t usually have chosen, but he’s not convinced audiences will care that they aren’t watching the real him.

He said: “Without a doubt people will be able to tell [that it’s AI], but the question is will they care? There are some people that won’t care, that won’t make that delineation.”

In Hanks’ upcoming movie Here, which is set for release next year, the actor will play younger versions of himself thanks to a tool from Metaphysic.

The AI company has previously explained that it can create “high-resolution photorealistic faceswaps and de-ageing effects on top of actors’ performances live and in real time without the need for further compositing or VFX work”.