A deepfake of Bruce Willis sparked widespread internet confusion about AI technology and legal rights – prompting the retired actor’s agent to confirm that Willis has not sold the rights to his digital likeness.
According to Portal, in 2021 a Russian company called Deepcake created a realistic AI-generated image of Bruce Willis in a commercial for Megafon, a Russian telecommunications company. Deepcake forced Willis’ face onto a Russian actor’s head using neural network technology a year before the actor retired.
Rumors surfaced recently that Willis had “sold” his likeness to the company to continue trading despite his aphasia diagnosis. Although Willis authorized the deepfake, his representatives confirmed that he did not “sell” him the rights.
“Please note that Bruce has no partnership or arrangement with this deepcake company,” Willis’ agent said in a statement to the BBC.
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The hyper-realistic image of Bruce Willis is actually a deepfake created by a Russian company using artificial neural networks. (Deepcake via Portal)
Rumors of Willis “acting” through deepfakes offered some readers a glimpse of the potential that AI technology could offer. After Willis announced that he was “retiring” from acting due to his aphasia diagnosis, journalists speculated that the deepfake could allow Willis to “act” in films without actually acting.
But a Deepcake representative disputed the idea of even selling the rights to her likeness.
“The wording about rights is wrong… Bruce couldn’t sell anyone any rights, they belong to him by default,” the spokesperson told the BBC, adding that Willis simply “gave his consent (and lots of materials) to make his digital twin.” .”
According to Deepcake’s website, Willis reportedly spoke highly of the company’s AI work as an opportunity to “go back in time.”
BRUCE WILLIS CONTINUED WORKING AFTER THE APHASIA DIAGNOSIS BECAUSE HE “WANTED TO,” SAYS THE LAWYER
Bruce Willis attends the Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis at Hollywood Palladium on July 14, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Rich Fury/Getty Images)
“With the advent of modern technology, I’ve been able to communicate, work, and film, even on a different continent,” Willis reportedly said, according to Deepcake.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to go back in time. The neural network was trained on ‘Die Hard’ and ‘Fifth Element’ content, so my character resembles the images from back then,” the statement explained.
The 67-year-old’s family announced a diagnosis of aphasia earlier this summer, which is affecting his cognitive abilities and rendering him incapacitated.
Bruce Willis arrives for the National Board of Review Gala in the Manhattan borough of New York January 6, 2015. (Portal)
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“We wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has some health issues and was recently diagnosed with aphasia which is affecting his cognitive abilities,” the family statement said. “As a result, and with much deliberation, Bruce is stepping down from the career that has meant so much to him.”