“There are millions of ads on the internet that illegally use my name, face and voice to promote amazing treatments,” he wrote. Hanks in a post on his Instagram profile.
“These ads were created without my consent (…). I have nothing to do with their content, nor with the products and treatments they promote, nor with the people praising these medications,” the actor continued.
Hanks reminded that he struggles with type 2 diabetes and that a certified doctor is responsible for his treatment. He asked his fans not to be fooled and not to lose their hard-earned money because of a similar advertisement. This is not the first time that the actor has warned against the illegal use of his image.
In September 2023, he responded to an online ad for a dental plan. “I have nothing to do with it,” he assured then.
Oscar winner for “Philadelphia” and “Forrest Gump” has previously spoken about the need to protect actors’ likenesses from being used by artificial intelligence. This topic was one of the reasons for the protest by members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), which paralyzed work in the film and television industry in 2023.
“I can confirm that there are discussions going on across all the guilds and agencies and copyright companies about the implications of the fact that a face and a voice — mine or anyone else’s — are intellectual property,” he said on Adam Buxton’s podcast in May 2023. Hanks admitted that, with advances in technology, he could play a 32-year-old for the rest of his life, but that would be the wrong approach.
“Anyone can now create a version of themselves at any age thanks to artificial intelligence and technology. deepfake… If I get hit by a bus tomorrow and that’s it, my image can still go on and on and on,” he said.