Today’s technology is getting closer and closer to the realities portrayed in sci-fi movies like The Matrix, and Keanu Reeves doesn’t like that.
In an interview with Wiredthe actor expressed his distaste for certain modern technologies, specifically calling out the dangers of deepfakes.
“What is frustrating [deepfakes] it’s that you lose your agency,” Reeves said. “When you perform in a movie, you know you’re going to be edited, but you’re in on it. If you go to a deepfake country, it has none of your views. It’s frightening.”
Deepfakes have become a growing trend in the entertainment industry. Bruce Willis was faked in the ads of Russian telephone operatorsLionsgate used deepfake technology to remove more than 30 F-bombs from his movie FallAnd Lucasfilm even hired a deepfake YouTuber after aging Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian season 2 finale. Reeves, like many, worries about the rapid evolution of AI technology.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how humans deal with these technologies. They have such cultural and sociological impacts, and the species is being studied. There’s so much ‘data’ on behaviors now. Technologies are finding a place in our education, in our medicine, in our entertainment, in our politics, and how we wage war and how we work.”
That’s a lot of very matrix thinking from the Matrix star, who also addressed fears that ChatGPT and other AIs are replacing the jobs of artists and creators, saying, “People who pay you for your art would rather not pay you. They “I’m actively looking for a way around you, because artists are tricky. Humans are messy.”
Keanu Reeves is promoting his upcoming movie, John Wick: Chapter 4. This week we learned that the movie is the longest John Wick series to date, clocking in at 2 hours and 49 minutes. John Wick 4 is set to hit theaters on March 24. In the meantime, check out our exclusive character poster who sees John Wick in Paris, or read how the film has the most action of the series “by a good margin”.
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over six years of gaming industry experience with signings at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.