Morgan Freeman criticizes the “unauthorized AI” that imitates his voice in a TikTok video

Morgan Freeman draws attention to a voiceover on TikTok that uses artificial intelligence to imitate his recognizable voice without his permission.

The creator of the TikTok account Justine’s Camera Roll shared a video she later described as an “obvious joke” claiming to be Freeman’s niece. The 43-second clip used an AI-generated rendition of the actress’s remarkable voice to describe her day.

“Justine was begging for money for what she described as a cultural experience in Spain,” says the voice-over, which includes excerpts from the creator’s tour of the country.

The AI ​​version continues: “She asked for my credit card to book a supposed little activity for her birthday. Imagine my surprise when I was charged for the cost of a yacht. Basically, she embezzled money.”

At the end of the video, the AI ​​voice says, “Apparently I just can’t say no to her.”

The TikTok user captioned the video, “Uncle Mo was booked and busy but I finally got him to tell me about my trip! …EMBLAMED!?” She also added the hashtag #ai.

Comments underneath the video, which was later shared to X by another user, apparently led some to believe that Freeman actually narrated the vlog. Others, however, recognized her use of AI.

The actor, known throughout Hollywood for using his booming voice to comment on award-winning films, released a statement on social media on June 28 about the use of his voice.

“Thank you to my incredible fans for their vigilance and support in exposing the unauthorized use of an AI voice impersonating me. Your efforts help ensure that authenticity and integrity remain our top priority. I am grateful,” he wrote, adding the hashtags #AI #Fraud #Impersonation #IdentityProtection.

In a follow-up video on June 30, the creator said she was “having a little fun. I just thought it would be funny, OK?”

“I thought it was obvious it was a joke,” she continued. “And now Uncle Mo is mad at me. If anyone on his team is watching, I’m so sorry.”

Responding to a comment criticizing people for not realizing she had used a fake voiceover, the creator said, “It’s obviously a joke but people have no judgment.”

TODAY.com reached out to representatives for Freeman and Justine’s Camera Roll but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

This is not the first time a celebrity has had problems with AI technology imitating their voice without permission.

In May, Scarlett Johansson said she had hired legal counsel after the organization behind ChatGPT, OpenAI, used her voice without her consent.

Just a month earlier, in April, the estate of Tupac Shakur’s Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, threatened to sue him for releasing a track that apparently used an AI-generated version of the late rapper’s voice.

In Drake’s diss track to Kendrick Lamar, “Taylor Made Freestyle,” the rapper appeared to use AI software to generate verses that imitated both Shakur and Snoop Dogg.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com.