Legendary actor Bruce Willis has reportedly become the first Hollywood star to sell his image rights to a technology company that specializes in using artificial intelligence, according to The Telegraph.
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Willis’ partnership with Deepcake allows for to create “digital twins” of the actor, and to use his face and likeness in future projects without Willis having to appear on set or be involved in any of the production aspects.
For Willis, this isn’t the first time that the star has collaborated on a deepfake project, as he and Deepcake worked together previously for a Russian phone advertisement for MegaFon last year. In a statement found on Deepcake’s website, Willis thanked the team behind the technology, and praised how the phone commercial came out at the time.
“I liked the precision with which my character turned out,” said Willis. “It’s a mini-movie in my usual action-comedy genre. For me, it is a great opportunity to go back in time. With the advent of modern technology, even when I was on another continent, I was able to communicate, work, and participate in the filming. It’s a very new and interesting experience, and I thank our entire team.”
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The move comes just months following Willis’ retirement from the world of acting, after the actor had been diagnosed with aphasia, which is a language disorder that affects someone’s ability to communicate. Should the move turn out to result in more films for Willis, it will allow his likeness to continue to appear in roles while his real-life self might not be able to.