Morgan Freeman, known for his distinctive voice, found himself addressing a misleading video circulating on TikTok. The video begins with the line, “Welcome to my niece’s day-in-life, narrated by me, Morgan Freeman,” and was posted by a creator who claimed, “Uncle Mo has been booked and busy, but I finally got him to narrate my trip!”
Freeman took issue with the video, clarifying that the voice presented as his own was not actually him. Given his iconic status and the recognizable quality of his voice, it’s understandable that he would want to set the record straight about such misrepresentations.
Despite the inclusion of the hashtag “ai,” many users were still deceived by the replication of Morgan Freeman’s voice in the TikTok video. The “Million Dollar Baby” actor addressed the issue on his social media, expressing gratitude to his supporters for bringing the video to his attention. He emphasized the importance of reporting unauthorized AI use to prevent further misrepresentations and protect the authenticity of his voice.
“Thank you to my incredible fans for your vigilance and support in calling out the unauthorized use of an A.I. voice imitating me,” Morgan Freeman wrote on his Facebook. “Your dedication helps authenticity and integrity remain paramount. Grateful. #AI #scam #imitation #IdentityProtection.”
Representatives for Morgan Freeman had no further comment when reached by Fox News Digital. Unfortunately for Freeman, this isn’t the first time his name and likeness have been used without his permission. Lori McCreary, the Executive Vice President of Freeman’s production company, Revelations Entertainment, recounted previous incidents involving AI-generated content.
While attending the “Produced By” panel titled “AI: What Every Producer Needs to Know,” McCreary shared an instance where her cousins sent her a video that seemingly depicted Freeman firing her. “I could tell it wasn’t real,” McCreary said, according to Deadline. However, she noted that a second incident nearly deceived her, underscoring the growing sophistication and potential dangers of AI-generated content.
McCreary recalled receiving a video of Freeman seemingly promoting a book. The deepfake was so convincing that she contacted Freeman’s makeup artist to verify its authenticity.
In 2021, a video titled “This is Not Morgan Freeman” went viral, featuring an AI-generated depiction of Freeman in both video and audio. This video underscored the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and sparked widespread discussion about the implications and ethical concerns of such technology.
