Could technology replace actors and actresses? Bruce Willis and the deepfakes

Technology has always been in the service of cinema, because what began as a sequence of photographs has evolved so much to the level it is at now. However, since the advent of special effects, there hasn’t been such a significant revolution, at least until now. Bruce Willis is at the forefront of change that could replace actors and actresses in the future.

As “The Simpsons” said, “the future is today, old boy”, since the news broke Bruce Willis sold his image to deepfakes, which is a technology that uses artificial intelligence, to put its face in new films. The Deepcake company, to which he sold his face, said it has already contacted major Hollywood production companies to offer the job as the “Die Hard” actor.

In addition, they also approached relatives or heirs of deceased actors and actresses to revive them with this technology. But does this mean the end of work for the interpreters? As with everything, there are nuances and the use of artificial intelligence is too early today to know the real impact it will have on the entertainment industry.

With this, we can only think on the surface, that Bruce Willis may continue to appear in new filmseven after death. Even the examples of Mark Hamill rejuvenated as Luke Skywalker, or even Carrie Fisher who came to life as Princess Leia in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”, are the first approximations of this technology.

What is deepfake technology and how is it applied?

Surely browsing the internet you have found a video in which the face of an actor or actress is replaced by another. Well, that technology is known as “deepfake”, translated as “Deep fake”, and that actually means that the deception is so strong that you couldn’t tell the difference unless you are told, well, at least this is it. ‘intention.

Like all technology in film, has brought about major structural changes as production approaches, have special effects artists replaced makeup artists or set designers? Not necessarily, and it depends on the movie and the kind of story you want to tell, but the workers continue to exist.

What I mean is that, in specific cases, like seeing Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther again, it could be an option for Marvel in his new film, to convince the actor’s family, at least to justify his character’s disappearance. . to the MCU. This is the case with the big productions, because they are the ones that could allow the use of this technology to raise nostalgia or, in the case of Bruce Willis, sell his image to continue to pay for his work.

On the other hand, smaller, independent or low-budget films should not use this technology, at least for the next few years, as they pay a real actor or actress simply for the cheapness of their service, compared to access to a deepfake artist. . And as always, regular use of this mechanism could lower its costs, making it more accessible for other types of productions.

And then there is the question of art, which is that, as far as possible, this technology is so perfected that the human eye cannot appreciate the difference between a real actor and this technology. And beyond that, he manages to convey all the nuances and feelings that his interpreter has put into his performance. Perhaps that conversation is interesting at the moment, but its real applications, and therefore the debates surrounding it, are a few years ahead of us.