The iconic phrase is one of the several trademarks the actor has filed to establish a clear boundary against AI misuse.

Matthew McConaughey is trademarking ‘alright, alright, alright’ to stop unauthorized AI use

The iconic phrase is one of the several trademarks the actor has filed to establish a clear boundary against AI misuse.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on *Entertainment Tonight* and Popsugar.

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January 15, 2026 11:37 a.m. ET

Matthew McConaughey and Rory Cochrane in 'Dazed and Confused'. Credit:

GramercyPictures/Courtesy Everett

Matthew McConaughey is being proactive against the growing concern of unauthorized AI use as Hollywood contends with rising computer-generated AI talent.

The 56-year-old actor has had eight trademark applications approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) over the past several months in an attempt to stop AI apps or users from simulating his voice or likeness without his permission, the *Wall Street Journal* reported, citing his attorneys.

These trademarks include applications for his iconic movie phrases, such as the quote "Alright, alright, alright," from David Wooderson's cult classic *Dazed and Confused*. According to an application on the USPTO, seen by ** on Thursday, McConaughey filed for the trademark in December 2023, and it was approved two years later.

Matthew McConaughey in 'Dazed and Confused'. Everett Collection

In an email to *WSJ,* McConaughey said, "My team and I want to know that when my voice or likeness is ever used, it's because I approved and signed off on it. We want to create a clear perimeter around ownership with consent and attribution the norm in an AI world."

"In a world where we're watching everybody scramble to figure out what to do about AI misuse, we have a tool now to stop someone in their tracks or take them to federal court," Jonathan Pollack, one of McConaughey's attorneys, added in a statement to *WSJ*.

Morgan Freeman slams AI-generated voices copying his own: 'Don't mimic me with falseness'

Whoopi Goldberg warns audience about AI actress Tilly Norwood: 'You won't have any connection'

Although McConaughey's lawyers noted that they aren't aware of his likeness being manipulated by AI, other actors and musicians have had to deal with deep fakes of their likeness and voices being used for various purposes on the internet. Last August, A 66-year-old woman says scammers allegedly used fake, AI-generated videos of *General Hospital* star Steve Burton to con her out of more than $80,000 in gift cards, cash, and bitcoin.

McConaughey's rep and legal team didn't immediately respond when contacted by EW for comment.

Matthew McConaughey in April 2025.

Rick Kern/FilmMagic

The entertainment industry's growing fascination with AI has created a rising apprehension from actors and other creatives about how the ever-evolving technology is transforming the media landscape.

AI was a prominent point of contention during the SAG-AFTRA strike in 2023, with one of the main issues being the use of AI in generating and perpetuating actors' likenesses. When SAG-AFTRA members who work on video games went on strike a year later, it was primarily over the use of AI.

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In September, AI actress Tilly Norwood made headlines when news broke that a newly launched AI talent studio was looking to get their computer-generated creation representation from Hollywood agencies.

SAG-AFTRA publicly spoke out against the possibility of any agency taking on Norwood as a client, publishing a statement formally condemning the use of the "synthetic performer."

"To be clear, 'Tilly Norwood' is not an actor, it's a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers — without permission or compensation," the union said, in part. "It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion and, from what we've seen, audiences aren't interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience. It doesn't solve any 'problem' — it creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry."**

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