Should Filmmakers Be Using AI to Manipulate Actors' Performances?

Artificial intelligence can do incredibly wonderful tricks for filmmakers that can make the process of getting the film done so much easier and without breaking the bank. But, like any great new thing, there are some dubious elements to AI that many people in the entertainment world are feeling strangely about.

The latest actor to speak out against the use of AI is Nicolas Cage.

If you've watched The Flash, you might have noticed Cage's cameo appearance as Superman in an alternate universe. This was a big moment for the film community as we finally got to see Tim Burton's shelved Man of Steel project from 1998 brought to life. Cage's Superman was portrayed battling a massive spider with his laser vision.

The Flash 2023 | Nicolas Cage Adam West | Superman & Supergirl ''CAMEOS'' | HD Movie Sceneyoutu.be

There is one issue though–that wasn't Nic Cage. Instead, we saw an AI generated version of a younger Cage in The Flash.

However, the actor revealed that this portrayal differed significantly from what he originally filmed for the movie. “When I went to the picture, it was me fighting a giant spider. I did not do that,” Cage told Yahoo! Entertainment in a new interview. “That was not what I did. I don’t think it was [created by] AI. I know Tim [Burton] is upset about AI, as I am."

Cage was originally supposed to be standing in an alternate dimension, witnessing the destruction of the universe. “Kal-El was bearing witness [to] the end of a universe, and you can imagine with that short amount of time that I had, what that would mean in terms of what I can convey. I had no dialogue [so had to] convey with my eyes the emotion. So that’s what I did. I was on set for maybe three hours,” Cage said of his original performance.

For one reason or another, the choice was made to de-age Cage and have him in action, which was not conveyed to Cage.

However, Cage doesn't seem to be terribly taken aback by this change in his performance. Rather, Cage seems to be at peace with what happened, and believes the main issue at play isn't AI but something else.

“But I don’t think it [was] AI [in The Flash]. I just think that they did something with it, and again, it’s out of my control. I literally went to shoot a scene for maybe an hour in the suit, looking at the destruction of a universe and trying to convey the feelings of loss and sadness and terror in my eyes. That’s all I did.”

I am not an actor, so I cannot speak to the contracts that actors agree to before stepping on set. I do know that how the performances is edited into the final cut is beyond them. That is a filmmaker decision that falls on the director, producers, and executives. But the line seems to get blurry once AI gets involved.

Is it right to manipulate performances into something vastly different than what was on set? Cage seems to believe so, but what do you think?

Source: Yahoo!