Cate Blanchett worries AI could ‘totally replace anyone’

Cate Blanchett is one of the many actors expressing fears about artificial intelligence.

In a recent interview with the BBC, the Oscar winner said the technology "deeply concerned" her.

"I'm looking at these robots and driverless cars and I don't really know what that's bringing anybody," she told the outlet. 

Blanchett added she is "less concerned" about the impact of AI on her job and more "about the impact it will have on the average person."

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"I'm worried about us as a species, it's a much bigger problem," she said.

The "Don’t Look Up" star continued, saying the threat of AI is "very real" because "you can totally replace anyone."

"Forget whether they're an actor or not, if you've recorded yourself for three or four seconds, your voice can be replicated."

She added, "When you look at it one way, it's creativity, but it's also incredibly destructive, which of course is the other side of it."

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Blanchett’s fears were expressed just a few weeks before Creative Artists Agency (CAA), the firm that represents her, and YouTube announced their new partnership to manage actors and athletes’ likenesses in AI-generated content.

"By collaborating with CAA, we’ll gain insight from some of the world’s most influential figures—some of whom have been significantly impacted by the latest waves of AI innovation—to refine our product before releasing it to a wider group of creators and artists," the company stated in a blog post.

"CAA’s clients’ direct experience with digital replicas in the evolving landscape of AI will be critical in shaping a tool that responsibly empowers and protects creators and the broader YouTube community."

Next year, CAA’s clients will have access to technology that can identify AI-generated content featuring their likenesses, allowing them the option to have it removed through a privacy complaint process.

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"At CAA, our AI conversations are centered around ethics and talent rights, and we applaud YouTube’s leadership for creating this talent-friendly solution, which fundamentally aligns with our goals. We are proud to partner with YouTube as it takes this significant step in empowering talent with greater control over their digital likeness and how and where it is used," Bryan Lourd, CEO and Co-Chairman of Creative Artists Agency, said in a statement on YouTube’s post about the deal. 

Several actors have already run into issues with having their face and voice likenesses used without their consent for AI-generated materials.

"Black Widow" star Scarlett Johansson, also a client of CAA, sought legal action against OpenAI last year when she claimed the company released its "Sky" voice system that resembled her voice after she had already turned down the company’s offer to hire her for the job.

"When I heard the released demo, I was shocked, angered and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference. Mr. Altman even insinuated that the similarity was intentional, tweeting a single word ‘her’ – a reference to the film in which I voiced a chat system, Samantha, who forms an intimate relationship with a human," the statement, released by NPR in May, read.

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"As a result of their actions, I was forced to hire legal counsel, who wrote two letters to Mr. Altman and OpenAl, setting out what they had done and asking them to detail the exact process by which they created the 'Sky' voice. Consequently, OpenAl reluctantly agreed to take down the 'Sky' voice," the statement continued.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI said, "The voice of Sky is not Scarlett Johansson's, and it was never intended to resemble hers. We cast the voice actor behind Sky’s voice before any outreach to Ms. Johansson. Out of respect for Ms. Johansson, we have paused using Sky’s voice in our products. We are sorry to Ms. Johansson that we didn’t communicate better."  

In August, Tom Hanks posted a statement on Instagram, saying, "There are multiple ads over the internet falsely using my name, likeness and voice promoting miracle cures and wonder drugs. These ads have been created without my consent, fraudulently and through AI."

He continued, "I have nothing to do with these posts or the productions and treatments, or the spokespeople touting these cures. I have type 2 diabetes, and I ONLY work with my board certified doctor regarding my treatment. DO NOT BE FOOLED. DO NOT BE SWINDLED. DO NOT LOSE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY."

Hanks’ likeness was also used in a dental company scan in October 2023, when he issued a similar warning to fans. 

Fox News Digital's Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.