TORONTO – Dan Aykroyd, the iconic "Ghostbusters" star and founding Saturday Night Live cast member, has recently expressed an openness to the concept of an AI-generated alter ego that could potentially extend his on-screen career into the afterlife. In a recent video call from his family's Ontario farm in the Thousand Islands, Aykroyd articulated that he would be amenable to such an arrangement, provided that his estate receives proper compensation for any likenesses created through artificial intelligence.
Aykroyd is currently hosting the second season of the History Channel’s intriguing series "The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd." He suggested that the show could serve as an interesting platform for AI experimentation. "Certainly if History Channel and AI want to generate me after I’m gone and have me out there doing the show, they can. But they have to pay my estate, my family, to do so," he stated, emphasizing the need for financial consideration for his legacy.
This discussion arose when Aykroyd was queried about the growing trend of online videos featuring deceased stars placed in fabricated scenarios. He cited examples such as Tupac Shakur, Sammy Davis Jr., Michael Jackson, and Robin Williams, mentioning that the latter's daughter had recently condemned this trend. Aykroyd pointed out that it is the responsibility of the legal representatives of these late stars to pursue compensation from platforms that distribute unauthorized material, drawing a comparison to copyright violations in the music industry.
"The legal representatives of these individuals are going to have to go to the carriers and say there has to be some kind of rights compensation," he noted, highlighting the importance of protecting artists' rights even posthumously. Aykroyd serves as the executive producer of the History Channel’s non-fiction series, which dramatizes bizarre historical events using archival images and re-enactments, accompanied by expert commentary. This season features intriguing stories, including tales of wild prison escapes, a family cursed with blue skin, and a tragic incident involving a lawn mower at a football game.
Aykroyd remarked on the educational value of the series, stating, "A lot of these stories bring up an interest in history, in science and technology and (the combination of) information, education and entertainment, I think, makes for a very great success." Currently, new episodes air on Fridays and are also available for streaming on StackTV.
In addition to his work on "The UnBelievable," Aykroyd has a role in Flavour Network’s series "A History of the World in Six Glasses," which is also being streamed on StackTV. This series aligns with his expertise in spirits, as he is the co-founder of Crystal Head Vodka, a product he proudly mentions is crafted in Newfoundland.
Aykroyd expressed his belief that a rising buy-local trend has bolstered the domestic sales of his vodka, particularly in light of cross-border economic tensions that have largely restricted U.S. alcohol products from Canadian retail outlets, bars, and restaurants. He lamented ongoing U.S. tariffs on some Canadian goods while remaining mindful of the need to preserve the U.S. market for his vodka. "We want to keep our market in the States alive. It’s too bad that this is where we’re at," he lamented, recognizing the complexities of cross-border trade.
He also commented on the broader economic relationship between Canada and the United States, stating, "As far as Canada becoming the 51st state, I will say that Canada is not for sale, but we do have lots of things to sell. So I encourage the chief executive of the United States, who is a deal-maker going way back in his career, to come up and make some deals and accept our deals."
