As AI advances, celebrities are increasingly vocal about its implications, with David Attenborough condemning the misuse of his iconic voice, Scarlett Johansson denouncing eerily accurate voice replicas, and Robert Downey Jr. offering a nuanced view—championing AI’s potential to combat pollution while warning against its misuse in entertainment. Meanwhile, Elon Musk, despite his ties to AI, advocates for strict regulation to prevent catastrophic risks. From raising ethical concerns to championing innovation, these voices spotlight the dual-edged nature of AI, urging society to navigate its promise and peril responsibly.
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00:00As AI continues to evolve at a rapid pace, an increasing number of celebrities such as
00:06David Attenborough, Scarlett Johansson, and Robert Downey Jr. are speaking out.
00:11Beloved nature documentary narrator David Attenborough is raising alarms about AI, particularly
00:16the use of technology to replicate his distinctive voice.
00:20In a recent segment for the BBC, which aired on November 19th, Attenborough responded to
00:26AI-generated imitations of his voice, saying,
00:29"'Having spent a lifetime trying to speak what I believe to be the truth, I am profoundly
00:34disturbed to find that my identity is now being stolen by others.
00:38I greatly object to them using my voice to say whatever they wish.'"
00:42Actress Scarlett Johansson has also spoken out against AI, after becoming a victim of
00:46deepfakes in 2018, and more recently in May of 2024, when OpenAI revealed a voice model
00:53that closely resembled hers.
00:55Johansson expressed her shock and anger upon hearing the demo, stating,
00:59"'When I heard the release demo, I was shocked, angered, and in disbelief that Mr. Altman,
01:04the OpenAI CEO, would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine that my
01:09closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference.'"
01:13However, not all stars view AI as a dangerous development.
01:17Robert Downey Jr., in true Tony Stark fashion, sees AI as a powerful tool for positive change.
01:23In June of 2019, at an Amazon AI conference, Downey announced his initiative, the Footprint
01:29Coalition, a project aimed at using advanced technologies like robotics and nanotech to
01:34fight pollution.
01:36At the conference, Downey shared his optimistic view, saying,
01:39"'Between robotics and nanotechnology, we could clean up the planet significantly,
01:44if not totally, within 10 years.'"
01:46But Downey's stance on AI took a more cautionary turn when discussing its use in the entertainment
01:51industry.
01:52Early on with Kara Fisher Podcast, in October of 2023, he made it clear how he feels about
01:58the possibility of executives using AI to resurrect his iconic character, Tony Stark,
02:04sharing,
02:05"'I would like to here state that I intend to sue all future executives just on spec.'"
02:10In a surprising twist, tech mogul Elon Musk, known for his deep involvement in AI, has
02:16voiced significant concerns about the future of the technology.
02:20In 2023, he called for a moratorium on AI development until stronger regulations are
02:25in place.
02:26At a tech conference that year, Musk warned about the potential dangers of unchecked AI,
02:31stating,
02:32"'There's a non-zero chance of it going terminator.
02:35It's not zero percent.
02:36There's a small likelihood of annihilating humanity, but it's not zero.
02:41We want that probability to be as close to zero as possible.'"
02:45As AI continues to evolve, the debate rages on.
02:47Will this tech be used for good, or could it pose a threat to our very existence?
02:52Time will tell, but one thing is certain, the voices of those at the forefront of this
02:56conversation, like Attenborough, Johansson, Downey Jr, and Musk, are shaping how we understand
03:02the future of AI.