I can see why they are worried as with the deepfake abilities they may no longer be needed other than to provide samples for the CGI experts to use. Who holds the copyright on your image/likeness etc. even after your death?
This has been established in the past. If you want to use the likeness of Einstein for instance, you need to pay his estate money. From the Guardian (UK newspaper for those unaware);
Albert Einstein died in 1955. In article 13 of his last will and testament, he pledged that his “manuscripts, copyrights, publication rights, royalties … and all other literary property” would, upon the deaths of his secretary, Helen Dukas, and stepdaughter, Margot Einstein, pass to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, an institution that Einstein cofounded in 1918.
This has been interpreted by courts and copyright lawyers to include his likeness, even though Einstein made no mention of it. It didn't make sense to copyright such a likeness at a time where the only way you could replicate it would be through makeup and a lookalike. And Einstein wasn't the kind of person who cared about celebrity or personal appearance that much. So this is an absurd outcome really, but the estate's lawyers will bankrupt you if you try to use it
without paying the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Realistically, it's not an issue in the short term that an actor could be replaced by AI. Tom Cruise, for lack of a better example, would be able to sue any studio out of existence for using his living likeness. The risk is that studios create their own actors, who work essentially for free. I think these aren't going to be as successful as the A-listers because of the lack of star factor (especially considering the idea of having an AI actor appear on live television is certainly quite some time away). But it's certainly possible to imagine a future where a lot of the middle ground actors just don't exist any more. Nobody really cares who plays
passenger #3 on the train, so why not replace them with AI? It's not so great for aspiring actors though, as they no longer have any chance to perform.
In a different field, this is where I see the risk of AI for programmers coming in. AI can't replace most programmers, and probably won't replace all programmers until generalised intelligence exists (which is itself an existential danger). But, it could replace a lot of junior/entry level roles. Generating test cases for an implementation for instance. This makes it ever harder for juniors to enter the field. You'd be left with a job market with not enough candidates for senior positions because there are little or no opportunities available for promotion.
No originality? Sucks at comedy? ChatGPT fits in perfectly with current Hollywood.
Meh, your opinion but I've watched a number of shows recently and quite enjoyed them... there's never been quite so much selection, the problem is 90% of it is crap, but the 10% that is good has never been better in my opinion. Nothing forcing you to watch the crap especially with streaming services it's just pick something good and watch it, you don't need to be aware of the politics or drama just enjoy the show.
They've been trying hard to destroy star factor for a number of years, with varying success. Things like the Marvel universe have been moderately effective at moving the focus from the actor to the character. It seems to have worked with some of them, and not with others. ChatGPT has great potential where an actor can't continue a franchise due to ill health or death. It could also be great for stories where someone has to play both an old and young version of a character. Various successful series have seen the actors pay skyrocket. Other successful series have been canned while still very popular to keep down the studio's salary bill. Actors who won't play ball contractually for sequels better watch out.
Yup, the bill from the A-listers is often a huge part of the budget of a film. Even if they can't eliminate the best actors, they minimise their screen time. As in your Marvel example, Iron Man is often hidden in a suit. That's CGI and/or a lower paid stunt actor, Downey Jr. would only get paid for the scenes with his face in, and even many of those are done CGI in a studio with little or no time on set.
As for actors not playing ball for sequels, these things tend to be negotiated upfront in secret deals, so when they got Downey Jr. in for the Iron Man film, I expect they had an agreement to option N further sequels at pre-agreed price within M years. Studios aren't stupid. Actors have good agents too and wouldn't agree to any contract that obsoleted them, so no AI generated likeness for example.
This doesn't stop the estate agreeing after death. Paul Walker appeared in a Fast-Furious sequel many years after he died, they used a body double, his brother, and existing footage to recreate him. But that was agreed with the family, who I am sure got a decent payout for using his likeness.
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