Meta offering millions in AI deals to Judy Dench, Awkwafina and Keegan-Michael Key: report
It’s a deal that could provide a license to kill.
British actress Judy Dench, who plays “M” in several titles of the “James Bond” franchise, raspy-voiced actor Awkwafina and baritone comedian Keegan-Michael Key could make big bucks in artificial intelligence deals with Meta Platforms.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is offering millions of dollars to record and use the celebrities’ voices for AI projects, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources.
It’s not clear how Meta intends to use the voices.
The company recently abandoned its AI-powered celebrity chatbots — with images of star-powered influencers like Tom Brady and Paris Hilton — as the tech tool failed to gain traction with the public in the year since its high-profile launch.
Meta — which came under fire this week after its AI-trained software generated inaccurate statements about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump — wants to seal the latest deals ASAP so it has time develop a suite of AI tools it can showcase at the company’s technology Connect 2024 event in September.
But negotiations between Meta and some talent representatives have been strained over the terms of use for the actors’ voices.
The tech giant plans to spend at least $37-$40 billion in 2024 capital expenditures, up from a prior range of $35-$40 billion, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s chief executive, said in the company’s second-quarter earnings call.
That sum includes the investment in AI research and product development efforts, he said.
