In the Near Future Will Animated Actors Replace Living Actors?

The future of computer animation will make it possible for the film industry to portray characters in movies without the need to employ human beings. The main challenge computer animators will face is the ability to match the animated character with human behavior, emotions and facial expressions.

Currently the film industry pays millions of dollars to actors and actresses to appear in their movies. The computer would simulate someone like Bruce Willis to portray a character and would pay Willis to license his face as a trademark. The executives would sit back and then let the computer do its magic. This technology would give animators the freedom to bring back deceased actors, such as Marlon Brando, to depict new characters. This would drastically reduce the overhead cost of the film makers and producers of paying out huge salaries to actors which could trickle down to movie-goers as a reduce cost to see the movie. Software development is the key to such an undertaking. This technology would give movie studios more flexibility and less dependence on high priced actors/actresses.

A risk this technology could encounter is if the movie industry can create such life-like animation, what would stop it from falling into the wrong hands and used as a way to manipulate the world. Suppose someone were able to reproduce a world leader to appear so life-like and have him/her give a speech that could have a negative impact on the world. It could be disastrous.