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For several years now, actors have been sounding the alarm over the AI industry planning to sell their likeness and voice with or without their consent – and therefore being threatened with putting them out of work.
In addition to the major Hollywood actors strike of 2023 inspired by these concerns, we have already seen actors taking matters into their own hands, such as Scarlett Johansson Threatened to sue OpenAI On a chatgpt update he claims that he copied her voice. has two voice actors also filed a lawsuitAccused an AI startup of using his voice to train its AI without permission.
Tensions reached a fever pitch last year when an AI company unveiled an AI actor named Tilly Norwood. The news received an almost universal reaction from both industry insiders and the public, raising fears of human actors coming to jobs in the industry.
To get ahead of unauthorized AI copying of his likeness or voice in the industry, Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey came up with a clever new defense strategy. In form of wall street journal reportsThe artist filed eight trademark applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, including video and audio clips of him “staring, smiling and talking.”
All eight applications have since been approved — and yes, one of the clips submitted includes him saying his iconic line, “Okay, okay, okay,” from the 1993 film “Dazed and Confused.”
“I and my team want it to be known that whenever my voice or likeness is used, it is because I have approved and signed off on it,” McConaughey told the newspaper in an email. “We want to create a clear perimeter around ownership with the ideals of consent and responsibility in the AI world.”
The goal is to pave the way for litigation if any company or individual attempts to profit from an actor’s likeness with the help of AI.
“In a world where we’re seeing everyone struggling to know what to do about misuse of AI, we now have a tool to stop someone or take them to federal court,” Jonathan Pollack, one of McConaughey’s lawyers, told the newspaper.
It remains to be seen whether this move will pay off or not. For one thing, many copyright infringement challenges to AI companies are still pending in court.
“I don’t know what the court will say in the end,” told attorney Kevin Yorn, who is also representing McConaughey. WSJ. “But we at least have to test it.”
Other experts said copyright law becomes questionable when it comes to AI-based video platforms like OpenAI’s Sora. The app, which allows users to create photorealistic clips of famous characters and actors despite company constraints, was criticized by talent agencies last year.
It appears that the Sam Altman-led company messed up its messaging at the time, and had previously told some talent agencies that they would have to avoid featuring actors they represent on Sora – Only to change your mind a few days laterA situation of extreme confusion is being created.
Federal rules establishing when, and how, an actor’s likeness or voice can be used are still being debated by lawmakers. However, Hollywood unions are adamant that unauthorized AI clones of actors should be illegal.
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