Ice-T “wouldn’t care” if his “Law and Order” character was played by AI.
The rapper who has portrayed his beloved role of Detective Odafin Tutuola on NBC’s “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” since 2000. He said artificial intelligence could lead to his part being immortalized forever.
“I think Ice-T could potentially act forever,” he told the New York Post‘s Page Six column. “I wouldn’t care. I think to say ‘no’ would be selfish. A future AI version of me would be better than me.”
But Ice-T, born Tracy Lauren Marrow, joked he would only start to “worry” about being replaced by an AI robot if it could make love.
He spoke about the tech ahead of hosting a book launch for Mark Minevich’s “Our Planet Powered By AI.”
His run as Odafin Tutuola makes Ice-T the longest-running male series actor in history, according to Deadline.
AI was a thorny issue during the recent SAG-AFTRA strike that brought Hollywood to a standstill. There have been some protections put in place over the use of the technology in the entertainment business.
“I believe it’s coming, and we need to just address it as it comes,” Ice-T said. “There is nothing you can do. One of my favorite quotes from [music producer] Quincy Jones is, ‘If you want to lose a fight, fight the future.'”
“If you can’t beat them, join them,” said the former frontman for Body Count rock band. “I am trying to read as much [as I can] to be involved as it grows.”
“I think people are freaking because they think they are going to lose their jobs, but people can lose their jobs at any time,” he continued. “I don’t think people will lose jobs. They will have different jobs; we will become more computer-ish type people. When you imagine the future, you don’t imagine manual tasks, you imagine future [stuff.]”
Ice-T also reassured fans about continuing in his role on “Law and Order.”
“I’m on until the wheels fall off,” he said.
