Jared Harris from ‘The Crown’ Talks to Lawyers About AI Deepfakes and Creative Concerns
EXCLUSIVE: Jared Harris, the Emmy-nominated star known for his roles in The Crown and Chernobyl, has enlisted his lawyers following the controversial use of artificial intelligence to create a deepfake of his likeness in a new podcast.
The podcast, hosted by Amy Hobby, producer of the Oscar-nominated documentary What Happened, Miss Simone?, and director Avi Zev Weider, explores old ideas by inviting guests to revisit them. AI technology is employed to generate new trailers and pitch decks.
Promotional materials for the podcast included a clip featuring an AI-generated version of Harris, who stated that he did not consent to the recreation of his image using this technology.
The British actor emphasized that he was not contacted about his involvement in the podcast, titled Films Not Made, which will also feature guests such as Shrek 2 director Conrad Vernon and Sideways writer Rex Pickett.
Harris expressed his thoughts on the evolving landscape of AI-generated content, stating, “As artists, we view the coming wave of AI-generated content with curiosity and suspicion. Frankly, the suspicion rests entirely with the human element that wields it, not the technology itself. My control over the use of my image is protected by contract and settled State and Federal law.”
He added, “We’re all breathing in the same air now. These tools exist. They’ve been trained on everything. Actors, filmmakers, books, scripts, art, all of us — we’ve been swept into something none of us consented to. That’s the atmosphere. The question is what you do once you’re breathing it in.”
