An artificial intelligence (AI) deepfake mimicking Morgan Freeman's voice as a narrator recently became viral on TikTok, catching the attention of the actor himself.

The actor reportedly slammed the unauthorized AI-mimic voice, calling it a "scam." In a Facebook post, the actor thanked his followers for being watchful and helpful in exposing the improper usage of an AI voice impersonating him.

He continued that his fans' dedication "helps authenticity and integrity remain paramount." His post included a few hashtags, including scam, AI, imitation, and identity protection.

The video begins with: "Welcome to my niece's day-in-life, narrated by me, Morgan Freeman." Although the creator included the hashtag "ai" in its caption, several users still fell for it. Sadly, Freeman's name and likeness have been exploited without his consent on previous occasions. 

A video sent to the EVP of the actor's production company, Revelations, by her cousins seemingly showed Freeman firing her. In 2021, another video titled "This is Not Morgan Freeman" went viral online. The video depicted the actor in both video and audio form, highlighting the advancements in AI.

Besides Morgan Freeman, a Late Celebrity Also Victimized by AI Deepfake

More and more celebrities are falling victim to unauthorized AI imitations, including the late great comedian George Carlin. The "Dudesy" podcast aired an AI-generated comedy special in January.

The late comedian's estate then sued the Dudesy podcast and its creators for using an AI to mimic Carlin's voice and manners without permission.

The lawsuit was resolved in April after Dudesy's creators agreed to permanently delete the comedy special and never rerun it on any platform. Even though Carlin passed away in 2008, his voice was heard in the hour-long special titled "George Carlin: I'm Glad I'm Dead."

Josh Schiller, a lawyer for Mr. Carlin's estate, said that Dudesy's creators, Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen, also agreed not to use Carlin's voice, image, or likeness on any platform without permission from the estate.

While other details of the deal were confidential, Schiller noted that the settlement did not include monetary damages. The comedian's daughter, Kelly Carlin, expressed satisfaction that the issue has been resolved.

When the AI-generated special first aired, she criticized it, saying it was "a poorly executed facsimile cobbled together by unscrupulous individuals." 

Read Also: Teachers, Victims of Explicit AI Deepfakes Made by Students 

Legal Measures Against AI Deepfakes

AI-generated deepfakes and artist ripoffs are becoming worse. In February, bipartisan US senators sponsored the DEFIANCE Act, also called the "Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits" of 2024.

The primary goal of this proposed law is to address the growing problem of deepfakes and misleading content that is widely available online.

Concerned about the spread of harmful and fake films and photos, particularly "digital forgery," the legislation aims to give victims a legal framework to take legal action against those disseminating such misleading materials. 

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