Tom Hanks thinks he could star on our screens forever thanks to AI

ITV News' Neil Connery reports on what AI's introduction into Hollywood means for the industry

Tom Hanks has said he could be starring on our screens "until kingdom come" thanks to AI.

The Oscar-winner claims to have predicted the acceleration of artificial intelligence in the film industry nearly 20 years ago when he featured as a reimagined digital train conductor in 2004's computer-animated The Polar Express.

He added described how stars could be immortalised on screen thanks to AI, while raising concerns about the power of the burgeoning technology.

"What is a bonafide possibility right now is - if I wanted to - I could get together and pitch a series of seven movies that would star me in them in which I would be 32 years old from now until kingdom come," the actor said.

Hanks gave a glimpse into Hollywood's response to the use of AI, including the race to make sure celebrities own the copyright to their faces before they are used, for example, in deep fakes - where people's features are artificially and seamlessly imposed onto someone else's body.

"I can tell you that there's discussions going on in all of the guilds, all of the agencies, and all of the legal firms in order to come up with the legal ramifications of my face and my voice and everybody else's being our intellectual property," he continued.

"Anybody can now recreate themselves at any age by way of AI or deep fake technology.

"I could be hit by a bus tomorrow, and that's it—but performances can go on and on and on."

In January, Hanks and American filmmaker Robert Zemeckis announced they would team up to use Deep Fake technology in up coming movie Here, starring Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly and Robin Wright.

Zemeckis said that the cast will be "seamlessly transforming into younger versions of themselves' in ways that were 'previously impossible."

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