Morgan Freeman calls out ‘unauthorized A.I.’ replicating his voice in a TikTok video
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Morgan Freeman is calling attention to a voiceover on TikTok that mimics his recognizable voice using artificial intelligence, without his permission.
The creator behind the TikTok account Justine’s Camera Roll shared a video, in which she later called an “obvious joke,” claiming to be Freeman’s niece. The 43-second clip used an AI-generated rendition of the actor’s notable voice to narrate her day.
“Justine begged for money for what she said would be a cultural experience in Spain,” the voiceover says, featuring clips of the creator touring the country.
The AI-version continues, “She asked for my credit card to book what she claimed was a little activity for her birthday. Imagine my surprise when I was charged for a yacht. Basically, she embezzled.”
At the end of the video, the AI voice says, “I just can’t say no to her, apparently.”
The TikTok user captioned the video, “Uncle Mo has been booked and busy, but i finally got him to narrate my trip! … EMBEZZELED!?” She also included the hashtag #ai.
Comments under the video, which was later shared by another user to X, had some seemingly believing Freeman actually narrated the vlog. Meanwhile, others recognized her use of AI.
The actor, who is known throughout Hollywood for using his booming voice to narrate award-winning films, shared a statement on social media June 28, addressing the use of his voice.
“Thank you to my incredible fans for your vigilance and support in calling out the unauthorized use of an A.I. voice imitating me. Your dedication helps authenticity and integrity remain paramount. Grateful,” he wrote, adding the hashtags #AI #scam #imitation #IdentityProtection.
In a follow-up video shared June 30, the creator said she was “having a little bit of fun. I just thought it’d be funny, OK?”
“I thought that it was very obvious that this was a joke,” she continued. “And now Uncle Mo is upset with me. If anyone from his team is watching, I am so sorry.”
In response to a comment calling out people for not realizing she used a fake voiceover, the creator replied, “It’s an obvious joke but people don’t have discernment.”
TODAY.com reached out to representatives for Freeman and Justine’s Camera Roll, but did not hear back by the time of publication.
This isn’t the first time a celebrity has encountered issues with AI technology impersonating their voice without permission.
In May, Scarlett Johansson said she hired legal counsel after the organization behind ChatGPT, OpenAI, used her voice without her consent.
Just a month earlier in April, Tupac Shakur’s estate threatened to sue Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, for releasing a track that appeared to use an AI-generated version of the late rapper’s voice.
In Drake’s diss track to Kendrick Lamar, “Taylor Made Freestyle,” the rapper seemed to use AI software to generate verses emulating both Shakur and Snoop Dogg.
