Nicolas Cage has begged other actors not to let AI “manipulate” their performances.
The Face/Off star took to the stage at the Saturn Awards in Universal City, California on Sunday (Feb 2) to accept the best actor in a film prize for his role in Dream Scenario — and after thanking his director Kristoffer Borgli, Cage went on to issue a plea to fellow screen stars not to let anyone use artificial intelligence to tinker with their art.
He told the audience: “Thank you for recognising Dream Scenario. This is in fact one of my favourite movies I’ve ever made.
“I have to thank Kristoffer Borgli for his direction, his writing, his editing and for creating this incredibly disturbing but hilarious world that he dreamt up.
“But there is another world that is also disturbing me. It’s happening right now around all of us: the new AI world.”
Cage went on to add: “I am a big believer in not letting robots dream for us. Robots cannot reflect the human condition for us.
“That is a dead end if an actor lets one AI robot manipulate his or her performance even a little bit, an inch will eventually become a mile and all integrity, purity and truth of art will be replaced by financial interests only. We can’t let that happen.”
The actor concluded: “The job of all art in my view, film performance included, is to hold a mirror to the external and internal stories of the human condition through the very human thoughtful and emotional process of recreation.
“A robot can’t do that. If we let robots do that, it will lack all heart and eventually lose edge and turn to mush. There will be no human response to life as we know it. It will be life as robots tell us to know it.
“I say, protect yourselves from AI interfering with your authentic and honest expressions.”
During his speech, Cage also paid tribute to late moviemaker David Lynch, who died last month aged 78.
He said: “The enthusiasm in this room is not like any other award show and you remind me of one of my greatest collaborators, David Lynch.
“When I was doing Wild at Heart, I was a very serious, young actor and I said, ‘David, is it okay if I have fun on this movie?’
“He said, ‘Buddy not only is it okay, it’s necessary’.”
Cage’s comments about AI come after he previously voiced concerns about body scans he underwent which were used to make upcoming TV series Spider-Man Noir — admitting he fears images of his body will be used for other purposes.
He told the New Yorker: “They have to put me in a computer and match my eye colour and change — I don’t know.
“They’re just going to steal my body and do whatever they want with it via digital AI… God, I hope not AI. I’m terrified of that.
“I’ve been very vocal about it… And it makes me wonder, you know, where will the truth of the artists end up? Is it going to be replaced?
“Is it going to be transmogrified? Where’s the heartbeat going to be? I mean, what are you going to do with my body and my face when I’m dead?
“I don’t want you to do anything with it!”
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