Tom Hanks Suggests Disney Could Use AI for Woody's Voice in "Toy Story"

JAKARTA - Actor Tom Hanks answered the issue of whether he could continue to voice Woody in the "Toy Story" film franchise. The 31-year-old franchise has a release gap including its latest film Toy Story 5 which was released this year.

"If you make Toy Story, it should be worth waiting for. You can make a theme that doesn't just extend the story just because people like the title," Tom Hanks told Entertainment Weekly.

It is undeniable, Toy Story is one of the business lines of its production house, but Tom Hanks feels that Toy Story should still have a promising story premise.

"If it's not good, new, and fresh, then there's no reason to do it at all," he continued.

On the other hand, Hanks also realized that Disney could not always rely on him to voice Woody. As a result, he suggested that they could use AI so that the Woody character could be recorded with Hanks' voice as freely as possible.

"Time is unbeatable. The question is whether we can put together a version of myself. Every word we ever recorded in 'Toy Story' is stored in digital media somewhere, so they can put together whatever they want," explained Tom Hanks.

The actor also did not deny the existence of AI and creepy deepfakes, but the technology cannot be avoided especially in the current era.

"I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and yes, the performance would still go on. Beyond the understanding of AI and deepfake, no one can explain that it's not me and the look is so real. It's an artistic challenge but one that is legal," said Tom Hanks.