Hollywood agency CAA rolls out AI protection services for celebrities
Creative Artists Agency (CAA), a US-based entertainment and sports talent agency, has initiated a program to offer AI protection services for celebrities. The agency has created "theCAAvault," a virtual media storage facility where top-tier talent can securely store their digital assets. These assets include names, images, digital scans, and voice recordings. This initiative is in response to the growing misuse of celebrities' digital likenesses without their consent.
Partnership with Veritone for digital asset management
CAA has joined forces with AI tech firm Veritone to provide this digital asset management solution. The partnership comes amid a rise in AI deepfakes of celebrities, often created without their permission. A notable incident involved famous actor and CAA client Tom Hanks, whose AI-generated video was misused to promote a dental plan sans his consent.
CAA to set precedents for consent-based AI use
Alexandra Shannon, CAA's head of strategic development, voiced concerns about the rampant misuse of clients' names, likenesses, images, and voices without consent or proper compensation. She stated that the current legal framework is insufficient to protect them from such violations. Shannon believes that "theCAAvault" will establish precedents for consent-based use of AI, and offer a legitimate avenue for companies to collaborate with their clients.
The vault ensures rightful compensation for digital likeness use
The vault allows clients to store their AI digital counterparts and other assets inside a secure personal hub, accessible only by authorized users. This feature enables them to share as well as monetize their content as they wish. Crucially, it also ensures that actors and other talents are rightfully compensated when firms use their digital likenesses. Shannon emphasized that all of the assets are owned by the individual client, who has the sole discretion to grant access to others.
CAA's consent-based approach to AI cloning
The usage of AI cloning has sparked debates in Hollywood over job opportunities and ethical considerations, particularly regarding the illegal use of AI clones of deceased celebrities. Shannon stated that CAA adopts a consent and permission-based method to all AI applications. The agency would only collaborate with estates that own and have permissions for the usage of these likeness assets, ensuring ethical practices in the industry.
