Mark Wahlberg on using AI in film ‘the right way’ and being open to an AI clone carrying on his legacy

Even as Hollywood remains divided over the use of AI in filmmaking, actor and director Mark Wahlberg believes the technology has a place in the industry as long as it’s used the right way.

Wahlberg, who’s also an entrepreneur and angel investor, took the stage at TechCrunch Disrupt to share his perspective on AI’s role in filmmaking, and how he’s open to having an AI likeness of himself carry on his legacy.

The actor said he plans to potentially use AI to enhance certain aspects of the upcoming Pete Rose biopic, in which he’ll star in the title role.

“It’s a fairly expensive movie, but, we’re talking about utilizing [AI] to enhance the stadium setting, things of that nature,” Wahlberg said. “I don’t think you should just, you know, put an idea into ChatGPT and it puts out a script, and then you should go make that and not use real actors. But if you can use it to enhance what you’re doing, I’m all for that.”

That said, Wahlberg made special mention of his belief that storytelling should remain at the heart of filmmaking.

“I’ve done big, effects-driven movies,” Wahlberg said. “I think I was in that kind of sweet spot when the first Jurassic Park was made, or when Perfect Storm came out, and you had that wave, the 100-foot wave that was in the trailer. Those are cutting-edge moments in technology with computer-generated images. Now, I think it’s hard to do that, so I’m not so passionate about effects-driven movies per se, as opposed to real storytelling.”

When asked by TechCrunch Editor-in-Chief Connie Loizos whether he had visited the CAA Vault, a Creative Artists Agency facility which lets actors use scanning technology to capture their bodies, faces, movements, and voices to create AI replicas, Wahlberg said he hadn’t, but would be open to the idea.

He even said he wouldn’t be opposed if his upcoming animated series, “Ted,” continued for decades with an AI version of his likeness.

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