Monty Python's Eric Idle warns performers of AI perils

RTÉ News​

2 days ago

Monty Python star Eric Idle has called on fellw performers "to protect ourselves" from artificial intelligence copies of their work and likeness.
The 82-year-old comedian told the PA news agency his wife was particularly worried about what could happen to his image once he dies.
He told PA: "I think it is a very interesting point, and we ought to have protected ourselves by copyrighting our images, I know my wife is very concerned about that.
"She's going to copyright my image, I won't be there, so I don't really give a…"
The rise of AI has seen numerous fake videos appearing to feature well-known celebrities on social media, while other incidents have seen their work digitally recreated.
Last year, Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson said she was "shocked" and "angered" at how "eerily similar" one of the voices on AI platform ChatGPT sounded to hers.
In response, the platform's operator OpenAI said it will "pause" the use of one of the voices.
Idle said the technology is "actually not bad" at copying work by old artists such as The Beatles to make a new version, but he felt it could "only copy" and not create.
He added: "I was with Professor Brian (Cox), the other night, and he asked it to write a Python sketch, and it was shit, completely unfunny.
"It mentioned a few things which obviously it picked up from Python, but it couldn't put them together in a new and funny manner, and I think that's the weakness with AI.
"I think Stephen Fry says you could ask it to do your World War One story, it could tell you how many bullets were used and how many people were killed, and all what happened every day, but it couldn't tell you as much as a Wilfred Owen poem could tell you in one minute or two, or 14 lines.
"I don't think that it makes much difference with a lot of American television because it's just churned out.
"But I think it can't be Robin Williams. I think it can't be Billy Connolly, I think it can't be Spike Milligan, I think it can't be the really creative comedians.
"So I don't think it can come up with that because what they do, they're doing it out of their own personalities."
The comedian will return to the UK in September for a solo tour at venues including London's Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall and Glasgow's Armadillo.
He will pay tribute to late friends George Harrison, Williams and Neil Innes, and perform with a virtual band.
He is best known for his appearances in the Monty Python's Flying Circus TV series alongside Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam, and its spin-off films Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975), Life Of Brian (1979) and The Meaning Of Life (1983).
Idle also created Beatles parody band The Rutles with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band's Innes, which featured in two mockumentaries in All You Need Is Cash (1978) and The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch (2003).