Robert Downey will 'sue' anyone who recreates him using AI
Robert Downey Jr., famous for playing Tony Stark aka Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), is staunchly against the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) for recreating his likeness. He warned on the podcast On With Kara Swisher that he would sue any future executives who might try it. "I intend to sue all future executives just on spec," he mentioned.
Downey Jr. trusts current MCU decision-makers
Downey Jr. also expressed confidence in the current decision-makers at Marvel Studios, saying he doesn't fear them exploiting his character's soul. "To go back to the MCU, I'm not worried about them hijacking my character's soul because there's like three or four guys and gals who make all the decisions there anyway and they would never do that to me, with or without me," he said.
His investment in AI companies and moral considerations
Beyond his acting career, Downey Jr. has also invested in AI companies. He stressed that it's not just about money but the people and their intentions behind these projects. "It always comes down again to not the technology or the opportunity to line my pockets as much as, 'Who are the people involved with this? Do I think they have a moral psychology? For what reason are they deploying this? Is their steering committee sound?'"
Downey Jr.'s critique of AI industry leaders
In the play McNeal, Downey Jr. plays a Nobel Prize-winning novelist who uses AI to write a new piece. The production has received mixed reviews but praise for Downey Jr.'s performance. During the podcast, he criticized figures like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, saying that their claim to ownership over this new phase of the information age because of their start-ups is flawed. Meanwhile, work-wise, Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU—as the villainous Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday.
