RM Morgan Freeman Rejects Retirement and Condemns AI Voice Copies: “Don’t Steal My Voice”
Morgan Freeman has made it clear he has no plans to step away from acting — and he’s even clearer about how he feels regarding artificial intelligence mimicking his famous voice. Speaking to The Guardian, the Oscar-winning actor said he becomes genuinely angry when he encounters AI-generated imitations created without his permission. According to Freeman, his legal team has been “very, very busy” working to remove unauthorized recreations from the internet.
“I get a little pissed off,” Freeman admitted. “Like any actor, I don’t want someone faking my voice. I’m not okay with that — I make a living using it. If you’re doing it without me, you’re stealing.”
Freeman previously criticized AI voice scams in June 2024, thanking fans on X for flagging ads that used synthetic replicas of his voice without consent. At the time he wrote: “Thank you to my incredible fans for your vigilance in calling out the unauthorized use of an AI voice imitating me. Your dedication keeps authenticity and integrity at the forefront.”
He’s far from the only Hollywood figure speaking out. Scarlett Johansson has also taken a strong stance, publicly condemning OpenAI last year for releasing a voice resembling hers after she declined the company’s direct request to use her real voice. On the other hand, some celebrities have embraced the technology — Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine recently partnered with AI audio company ElevenLabs to create licensed digital versions of their voices.
Freeman is currently promoting Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, the third film in the franchise in which he has starred since its beginning. Interestingly, the movie marks his only scheduled release for 2025 — unusual for the 88-year-old, who has typically appeared in about three films per year in recent seasons.
He admitted that the thought of retirement occasionally crosses his mind, but the feeling never lasts long. “As soon as my agent says there’s a role or an offer, everything snaps back to normal,” he said. “Then it’s just: how much does it pay, and where are we shooting?”
“The desire to keep working is still there,” Freeman added. “It’s dimmed a bit, I’ll admit, but not enough to make any real difference.”
