Mark Wahlberg drew the biggest crowd of the week at San Francisco's Moscone Center on Thursday, closing out TechCrunch Disrupt with a conversation that ranged from his childhood watching Jimmy Cagney movies with his father to whether he'd ever want his digital likeness to outlive him. The actor, rapper, director, and entrepreneur spent his time on stage dissecting how artificial intelligence is reshaping Hollywood, using his upcoming Pete Rose biopic as his main example.
According to KRON4, the three-day conference brought attendees face-to-face with executives and founders from Anthropic, Amazon, and Nvidia before Wahlberg capped things off. The event took place at Moscone West. Wahlberg appeared alongside Bruce K. Lee, founder and CEO of Keebeck Wealth Management and Wahlberg's business partner, who advises him on his healthcare, wellness, and startup investment portfolio.
From Stadium Crowds to Digital Clones
Much of the on-stage discussion centered on Wahlberg's casting in the title role of a forthcoming Pete Rose biopic, in which he said AI could help enhance the stadium setting rather than replace real performances. The film is expected to begin production in early 2027 and will focus on Rose's late career from 1984 to 1989 as player-manager for the Cincinnati Reds, covering his chase of Ty Cobb's hits record and his investigation by MLB Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti, according to Sports Illustrated.
Wahlberg was blunt about where he draws the line, saying AI should not simply generate a script in ChatGPT made without real actors involved. He said he supports using the technology to enhance creative work, but that storytelling remains central to how he approaches films. He pointed to his own history in effects-driven movies released around the time of Jurassic Park and The Perfect Storm — whose trailer famously featured a 100-foot wave — as proof that he has long favored real storytelling over spectacle for its own sake.
A Childhood Rooted in Classic Film
Wahlberg, who said he was the youngest of nine children, described how his father, a truck driver and Teamster, used to take him to the movies as a way for the two of them to spend one-on-one time together. He said he grew up watching Jimmy Cagney and films from the 1940s through the 1970s with his dad, an influence he credited for his preference for character-driven films over ones reliant on special effects. Wahlberg has been nominated for two Academy Awards.
Living Forever, On His Family's Terms
The conversation turned pointed when Wahlberg addressed the CAA Vault, the Creative Artists Agency facility where actors can have their likenesses scanned for AI use, which he said may enable performers to live forever on screen. He said he has not visited the vault and has not been invited, though he added he would be interested in seeing it. The vault uses two light-and-camera orbs and facial cloning rigs to capture a complete 3D and 4D record of a performer's movements, emotional range, and voice over roughly three hours, according to reporting relayed by Pfanner Communications.
Wahlberg said he could welcome future use of his likeness if his children and grandchildren controlled it — a condition that lines up with California's evolving legal framework around digital replicas. Assembly Bill 1836, enacted in September 2024, prohibits the unauthorized commercial creation or distribution of digital replicas of deceased performers without prior consent from their estates, with statutory damages of at least $10,000 per violation, according to Fenwick & West LLP. A separate measure, Assembly Bill 2602, requires entertainment contracts to specify any intended use of an actor's AI-generated digital replica and mandates that performers be represented by legal counsel or a labor union, per Foley & Lardner.
SAG-AFTRA's TV and theatrical agreement, negotiated after the 2023 Hollywood strikes, requires studios to obtain clear and conspicuous informed consent and pay bargained compensation before using a performer's digital replica. The union's contract distinguishes between replicas created during production and those independently licensed by talent.
Beyond the Screen
Wahlberg's San Francisco appearance came amid a packed entrepreneurial schedule. He has launched a prayer app, a clothing line, and a gym. Activewear brand Municipal has a California presence, while Mexican restaurant chain Flecha Cantina has expanded in the state, including a San Diego location, as Hoodline reported in the wake of an E. coli outbreak at Miguel's Cocina. He also appeared in Las Vegas last month, touring a casino's VIP renovation. The Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation supports inner-city youth programs.
