Simu Liu feels that using artificial intelligence (AI) to replace actors is “antiethical”.
Simu Liu îs fearful of AI’s impact on actors
The 36-year-old actor took to social media last week to hit back at Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary’s claim that utilising AI to replace extras could bring down costs on movies and thinks it is essential to have background performers so that aspiring stars can learn the technical aspects of making a film or TV show.
In an interview with Deadline, Simu said: “First of all, I thought that take that I was responding to is a really dumb take, particularly really tone deaf and out of touch and also just kind of incorrect.
“The idea that these background actors who are making minimum wage are somehow the reason why movies now are costing too much, that’s simply not true.”
Liu’s first acting job came as an extra in the 2013 film Pacific Rim and he said the lessons he learned from the experience were “invaluable” for him going forward.
The Barbie star said: “This idea of replacing actors with AI, it’s so antiethical to my development as an actor. I think if I was able to learn from that experience, then how many other people are doing the same? In depriving the world of background actors, you’re also depriving people the opportunity to kind of pick up these skills.”
Simu argues that the art of making movies should remain human, instead of falling under the control of computers.
The Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings actor said: “Film is such an artist’s medium. Of all the uses AI that have come forth, replacing art is just, I feel like, the last thing that anybody wants to do with AI. I feel like art is art because it’s human. It comes down to even the way the extra move… it all plays into the frame, and it’s all meaningful to the story.
“I really do feel like human beings are smart. I feel like when we see somebody in the background not moving like a human, we know. I feel like we could still tell the difference, at least right now.”
In his initial response to O’Leary last week, Simu had written on social media platform X: “Sure, blame the extras making 15-22 dollars an hour struggling to make a living and not above the line people making multiple millions.”