Morgan Freeman slams ‘unauthorised’ use of AI-generated voice

Veteran Hollywood star Morgan Freeman slammed the alleged unauthorised use of an AI-generated voice imitating himself.

Taking to X, the Shawshank Redemption star thanked his fans for their support as he became the latest celebrity to fall victim to artificial technology (AI).

The actor has become a legend for his narration in films such as March of the Penguins, The Shawshank Redemption and Million Dollar Baby.

Known for his captivating voice, the 87-year-old actor became a popular target of AI-generated voice imitations.

Morgan Freeman called out those using his AI-generated voice after a series of TikToks went viral created by a woman claiming to be the actor’s niece.

“Thank you to my incredible fans for your vigilance and support in calling out the unauthorized use of an A.I. voice imitating me. Your dedication helps authenticity and integrity remain paramount. Grateful,” the Hollywood star wrote in a post on X.

He used hashtags such as AI, scam, imitation and IdentityProtection in his post.

The debate around using AI-generated imitations of celebrities began when Scarlett Johansson slammed OpenAI for using a voice similar to hers in AI personal voice assistant named Sky.

The Avengers actor said that she was approached by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to use her voice for a conversational form of ChatGPT.

However, she said that despite declining the offer, she was “shocked, angered and in disbelief” that the AI company went ahead and used a voice extremely similar to hers.

Following Scarlett Johansson’s statement, OpenAI paused the use of the voice assistant while stating that the voice was not an imitation of the star.