OSCAR-WINNER TOM HANKS SENT A WARNING TO HIS FANS – NOT TO BELIEVE EVERYTHING THEY SEE.

HE POSTED TO INSTAGRAM ON SUNDAY AN IMAGE – SEEMINGLY OF HIMSELF – BUT WITH THE CAPTION “BEWARE!”

IT TURNS OUT IT WAS NOT AN ACTUAL PHOTO OF THE “FORREST GUMP” ACTOR – BUT A COMPUTER-GENERATED ONE — MADE FROM ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

HANKS’ CAPTION WENT ON TO EXPLAIN FURTHER – SAYING QUOTE “THERE’S A VIDEO OUT THERE PROMOTING SOME DENTAL PLAN WITH AN AI VERSION OF ME. I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.”

HANKS HAS PREVIOUSLY SPOKEN ABOUT THE CHALLENGES ACTORS FACE WHEN IT COMES TO AI ON A PODCAST EARLIER THIS YEAR.

“I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and that’s it, but performances can go on and on and on and on. Outside of the understanding of AI and deepfake, there’ll be nothing to tell you that it’s not me and me alone. And it’s going to have some degree of lifelike quality. That’s certainly an artistic challenge but it’s also a legal one.”

THE INTERVIEW WAS DONE MONTHS BEFORE HOLLYWOOD ACTORS WENT ON STRIKE IN JULY WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BEING ONE OF ITS KEY ISSUES. SAG-AFTRA AND THE ALLIANCE OF MOTION PICTURE TELEVISION PRODUCERS ARE EXPECTED TO MEET TODAY FOR THE FIRST FORMAL BARGAINING TALKS.

OUR BUSINESS CORESPONDENT SIMONE DEL ROSARIO HAS A SERIES ON THE RISE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR THE TECHNOLOGY. YOU CAN FIND HER REPORTS NOW ON SAN.COM.