The Independent iconThe IndependentSep 24, 2026 ~3 min source read

Morgan Freeman: AI voice replication is ‘stealing’ — ‘Get lawyers’

The award-winning actor, 89, is famous for his performance in the prison drama The Shawshank Redemption, a role which established him as one of cinema's most recognisable narrators. With technology used to mimic famous voices and generate deepfakes on the rise, Freeman suggested those targeted may need to turn to the law.

Morgan Freeman calls artificial intelligence voice replication and deepfakes ‘stealing’

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Freeman calls AI voice replication and deepfakes “stealing” and advises those affected to seek legal help.

He says tracking the origin of deepfakes is difficult and that his lawyers have found “quite a few” cases.

Freeman has previously said he is upset by AI recreations of his voice and notes that such uses deprive him of paid work.

The useful part

The award-winning actor, 89, is famous for his performance in the prison drama The Shawshank Redemption, a role which established him as one of cinema's most recognisable narrators. With technology used to mimic famous voices and generate deepfakes on the rise, Freeman suggested those targeted may need to turn to the law. Get lawyers." The actor also went on to acknowledge the difficulty in finding out "where it originated" as deepfakes and material continue to be produced.

How it works

  • I'm like any other actor: don't mimic me with falseness," Freeman told The Guardian.
  • Freeman has also been on a mission to save blues music and is a co-owner of blues club Ground Zero in Clarksdale, Mississippi, which he helped set up after two backpackers asked him where they could listen...
  • Orchestra and said if they were to win a Grammy it would "spike my good feeling".
  • "That's the blues." He went on to call the success of the 2025 Academy-award-winning film Sinners, which used blues music to explore the supernatural horror film's themes, as a "powerful moment".

Details worth keeping

He told ITV News: "On the one hand, it's pretty nice. "I don't appreciate it, and I get paid for doing stuff like that, so if you're gonna do it without me, you're robbing me." Asked if this has already happened, the actor said his "lawyers have been very, very busy" and found "quite a few" cases. He recently produced an album alongside the British Chineke!

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