While waiting for a resolution to the American actors’ strike, some of them have already chosen to protect their image, just as has been done with copyright.
In Hollywood, things are not going well… And the designated enemy has a name: artificial intelligence. On May 2, 2023, the screenwriters went on strike and were followed by the actors on July 14. In fact, those involved want the studios to commit to not adopting AI technologies to their detriment. For several months, deepfakes of celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Selena Gomez, and even a rock band like Oasis, have made headlines. And the possibility of using ChatGPT to create plausible storylines has also raised many concerns.
Cloning an actor without their knowledge
The fear of actors is simple: in the future, could a production use their image to insert them into a film without their consent? Since this is technically possible, preventive measures need to be taken. It is already possible to make someone “speak in the manner of” as we show in this example, where we asked ChatGPT to praise an iPhone case in the style of Fabrice Luchini.
However, some actors have chosen to take action to protect their image. A start-up called Metaphysic AI has taken the lead and offers celebrities the opportunity to digitize their image and register it legally, just as a composer can register their works with a copyright protection agency.
With the Metaphysic Pro tool, an actor can scan their face or even their entire body and store these documents in Metaphysic’s database. The start-up claims to have already reached an agreement with the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) since early 2023. For reference, CAA represents artists such as Bob Dylan, Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz, George Clooney, and many others.
The ultimate tool for detecting deepfakes
Indeed, Metaphysic claims to have already signed agreements with actors of the caliber of Tom Hanks, Anne Hathaway, and Paris Hilton. Therefore, Metaphysic could ensure that such actors are compensated for the use of their image and voice, and protected against unwanted use.
In parallel, a new type of legislation is emerging to establish artists’ property rights over their image and means of expression. In fact, California Congressman Ash Kalra has proposed legislation that aims to better protect actors against artificial intelligence.
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