Tom Hanks warns against ads with his image and likeness
- Hanks made the PSA on his Instagram Thursday
- Scarlett Johansson and Taylor Swift have endured similar fakes
- The fakes have been promoting medical treatments
File – US actor Tom Hanks (C) and US director Steven Spielberg (R) attend the US ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the World War II “D-Day” Allied landings in Normandy, at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, which overlooks Omaha Beach in northwestern France, on June 6, 2024.
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Tom Hanks is warning his fans to “not be fooled” or “swindled” by what he describes as fake, artificial intelligence (AI)-generated ads featuring his likeness.
“There are multiple ads over the internet falsely using my name, likeness, and voice promoting miracle cures and wonder drugs,” Hanks wrote to his more than 9 million followers in an Instagram post Thursday.
“These ads have been created without my consent, fraudulently and through AI,” the “Forrest Gump” star said in the post, which he titled a “public service announcement from Tom Hanks.”
“I have nothing to do with these posts or the products and treatments, or the spokespeople touting these cures,” the 68-year-old Academy Award winner said.
“I have type 2 diabetes, and I ONLY work with my board certified doctor regarding my treatment,” he said, before issuing a cautionary message.
“DO NOT BE FOOLED. DO NOT BE SWINDLED. DO NOT LOSE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY,” Hanks said.
Other performers have spoken out against what they’ve called the unauthorized use of their likenesses using AI.
In May, Scarlett Johansson said she was “shocked” and “angered” after ChatGPT rolled out its voiced AI assistant, which the “Black Widow” actor claimed sounded “eerily similar” to her voice.
Last year, lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill — the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act — with the aim of holding individuals or companies liable for producing unauthorized digital replicas of individuals in a performance.
