Don’t expect to see any sort of Whoopi Goldberg holograms after she dies.
In the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), “The View” co-host recently announced that her will stipulates that her resemblance cannot be used without the permission of her estate, and she does not want her likeness to be portrayed as a hologram produced from an image to replace her after she dies.
The topic of wills came up on a July 12 episode of the morning show when the panel was discussing the implications of Aretha Franklin’s will written in 2014, which was found after the previous draft written in 2010 and a jury recently ruled should supersede some key elements of the earlier version.
Whoopi’s Last Will and Testament
The subject was so compelling that Goldberg, 67, not only told the audience that she already had a will in place, but she had written in the will that she refuses to allow her image to be turned into a hologram.
“Yeah, no, I don’t want to be a hologram, but that’s been in my will for 15 years,” Whoopi said, referring to a celebrity hologram modeled after Whitney Houston that was used on stage, EW reported.
“They don’t ask you, that’s the thing,” she continued. “They just do it, and then you go, ‘Hey, isn’t that Tupac? Wait a minute, didn’t Tupac die? What is he doing up on… ’Yeah, see, I don’t want that. It’s a little freaking creepy.”
“Yeah, my estate doesn’t want it,” she said. “My estate wants to be left alone.”
“They’re not going to make films because in my will it says, ‘Unless you speak to my family, try it. Try it,’” she said.
The World of AI and Wills
The emergence of AI has created a public divide, with some praising its ease of use and accessibility, while others fear it poses a threat to creativity, representation, ethics, and pay in entertainment and news media.
In agreement with Whoopi, Samuel L. Jackson and Ice Cube have also said unequivocally that they do not want technology to be used to replicate their voice, visage, or anything in between.
Since a will is a document that contains your direct wishes for your property and assets, as well as the care of your dependents, you can stipulate how your name, image, signature, photographs, voice, and likeness are used after you die, according to the American Bar Association.
Goldberg’s Greats
A renowned actress, comedian, and talk show host who is currently working on several film and TV projects yet to be released, Goldberg has an estimated net worth is reported to be $60 million.
Having acted in over 150 films, Goldberg is one of a few entertainers to achieve the EGOT–having won an Emmy (television), a Grammy (music), an Oscar (film), and a Tony (theater). She is the first black woman to have achieved all four awards.
