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A Polish biopic of Russian President Vladimir Putin premiers today with an unlikely star: an AI-generated Putin.
Filmmakers used special effects powered by AI to superimpose the Russian president’s face onto actor Sławomir Sobala. The English-language film will reach screens across 64 countries, according to Notes from Poland.
“The audience needed to see the real Putin on screen,” director Patryk Vega told The Telegraph. “Even the best actor with great make-up wouldn’t convincingly portray a figure everyone in the world knows so well.”
AI is not yet good enough to generate videos of the Russian president with the precision Vega was looking for in his film, and it cannot convey the human emotions Sobala was able to capture as an actor, Vega added.
Sobala spent two years studying Putin’s body language and mannerisms to serve as the base model for Putin’s character.
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Vega’s artistic decision has raised questions about the ethical implications of using deepfake technology and other AI in films, which was at the center of the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes.
Extras worry they will be replaced by AI-generated bodies, and celebrities fear their likeness will be exploited by the technology. The strikes secured some protections for creatives, including establishing prohibited usages and studios agreeing to limit the use of AI in screenwriting.