Tom Hanks Recognizes His Power To Be Immortal With The Help Of AI

Film technology has come a long way since Tom Hanks kicked off his acting career in 1980, from the groundbreaking visual effects that digitally inserted his eponymous character into historical moments in 1994's "Forrest Gump" to his motion capture performances as the conductor and six other roles in 2004's "The Polar Express."

In the 19 years since the release of "The Polar Express," advancements in digital effects like deep fake technology and artificial intelligence have been roaring toward Hollywood at the speed of a freight train. And as the tech draws so ever closer, Hanks clearly has realized that he needs to embrace the future of filmmaking while the choice is still up to him.

"Anybody can now recreate themselves at any age they are by way of AI or deep fake technology ... I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and that's it, but my performances can go on and on and on," Hanks told the host of "The Adam Buxton Podcast."

As such, Hanks told Buxton, the use of AI and deep fake is "a bona fide possibility right now" and that he could pitch movies that would feature him as a 32-year-old actor "from now until kingdom come."

With that, Hanks has taken the initiative to protect his likeness and voice before technological advancements become commonplace in Hollywood. He told Buxton that "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."

There's no telling how long it will be before fans will see an entirely digital version of Tom Hanks on the big screen, but when it happens, he's not sure people will be able to tell the difference. "Outside of the understanding that it's been done by AI or deep fake, there'll be nothing to tell you that it's not me and me alone and it's going to have some degree of lifelike quality," the actor told Adam Buxton.

And while the two-time best actor Oscar winner knows that the digital version of him won't likely match the personal essence that he's brought to his performances to date, he's thinking that it won't really make a difference to some audience members. "Without a doubt people will be able to tell, but the question is, will they care?" Hanks asked Buxton. "There are some people that won't care, that won't make that delineation."

Oddly enough, Hanks has been expressing his insights about the future of acting while promoting his turn as a first-time author. Hanks' fictional novel "The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece" is in bookstores and available online.