Keanu Reeves, against deepfakes and the technology they manipulate: “There is a corporatocracy behind all this”

When asked in an extensive WIRED interview if he’s into science fiction, as one would assume from his career at the helm of ‘The Matrix’, Keanu Reeves replies: “I’m interested in narratives about humans and their interaction with technology”. It is undeniable that technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, as the interpreter himself points out: “It will be interesting to see how humans deal with these technologies”He says. “Now there is so much ‘data’ about behavior. Technologies are being introduced in education, medicine, leisure, politics, warfare and work”. And he’s definitely very clear about his views on the growing technological advances. On the one hand he admires what they are capable of doing, but above all he is against it, as in the case of “deepfakes”.digital manipulations in image, audio or video format which make it possible to generate the same look or tone of voice as a person and which have already caused more than one upset to others in their profession.

“When you’re in a movie, you know you’re going to be edited, but you’re in it”, says the actor in the interview. However, as recently happened to Bruce Willis, even if you consent to a deepfake, you lose power over your image and it could even be used for messages that don’t match your ideals, which for Reeves definitely “it’s scary”.

“People are growing up with these tools. We’re already hearing music that made Nirvana-style AI, there are NFTs making digital art”. Reeves admits there’s an “interesting” part to all of this: “It’s like, ‘Look at what these cute cars can do!’ but behind all this is a corporatocracy that wants to control these things.”, Remember. This is really the artist’s great concern: “Culturally, socially, we will face the value of the real, or the non-value. And then what will be imposed on us?”. When the reporter answers “metaverse”says Reeves “it is a control and manipulation system”and relates it to the myth of Plato’s cave: “We’re on our knees looking at the cave walls and seeing the ledges, and we don’t get a chance to look behind us. Or to the sides”.

However, as they say: if you can’t beat them, join them. For this Reeves is an advisor to the Futureverse Foundation, a non-profit organization that he launched with his partner, Alexandra Grant, aimed at fighting for the accessibility and inclusion of artists in the metaverse. “We are trying to take advantage of this technology that interests people and give opportunities to artists with different points of view”.

digital crocodile tears

The actor included a clause in your contract that prohibits them from digitally manipulating your performance. Of course, it’s not about not being able to crop or edit your scenes, it’s about preventing them from adding things that aren’t there: like a dramatic teardrop, something that was actually added without your permission decades ago, over the years 90s or 2000s.

We’ll see soon Keanu Reeves is back in his sleek John Wick suit in the fourth chapter of the saga, ‘John Wick 4’, which will be released in theaters on March 24th.