Agent Smith may still be a thing of the future, but “John Wick 4” star Keanu Reeves has learned from the “Matrix” films and distrusts artificial intelligence and its importance in society.
- Keanu Reeves is skeptical about a future with artificial intelligence and deepfakes.
- The “John Wick 4” star has already had a contractual assurance that his acting may not be digitally altered.
- Reeves also believes that AI could be dangerous for many jobs.
“John Wick 4” does not do without digital effects, but the focus of the action series is still on handmade fights that make for particularly realistic scenes – embedded in a hyper-real plot about a community of contract killers.
In the interview with the tech magazine Wired, however, the focus was still primarily on technology topics, which actor Keanu Reeves is also very familiar with. Even before the “Matrix” films, Reeves could be seen in “Networked – Johnny Mnemonic”; science fiction and artificial intelligence have always been a big topic for him since then.
That’s why Reeves takes the threat that AI programs could soon take various jobs from humans very seriously. As an actor, he is aware that his performance will later be adapted by the editor, but for years Reeves has had contractual assurances that his scenes may not be digitally manipulated without his consent.
I don’t mind if someone removes a blink during editing. But in the early 2000s, or it could have been the ’90s, they changed a scene of mine. They added a tear to my face and I was just like, “Huh?!” I thought, I don’t even need to be here.
Keanu Reeves
The fact that Bruce Willis is giving away his appearance for a Russian mobile phone commercial that completely does without Willis himself and instead relies on deepfakes is therefore something Reeves also sees critically. Reeves also addressed the theme from the “Matrix” films.
I once tried to explain the plot of “Matrix” to a 15-year-old and that the character I was playing was fighting for what was real. And this young person just said, “Who cares if it’s real?” People are growing up with these tools: We’re already listening to music made by AI in the style of Nirvana, there’s digital art. That’s cool, along the lines of: look what the cute machines can do! But there is a corporatocracy behind it that wants to control these things. Culturally and socially, we will be confronted with the value of the real or the non-value. And then what will be imposed on us? What will be presented to us?
Keanu Reeves
A return to the sci-fi genre is not currently on Keanu Reeves’ agenda. However, in addition to the “John Wick” films and the spin-off “Ballerina,” a sequel to the DC adaptation “Constantine” is being planned. The upcoming video game expansion “Cyberpunk 2077 – Phantom Liberty” will also feature a digital Keanu Reeves.
