Meta in talks with Hollywood stars for voice-based AI project
Meta is currently negotiating with several Hollywood celebrities to utilize their voices for its upcoming artificial intelligence (AI) project, according to Bloomberg and The New York Times. The tech giant's new venture, named MetaAI, will be a conversational generative AI and digital assistant initiative. This project would be on par with existing digital assistants such as Siri and Google Assistant. Meta is in talks with Judi Dench, Awkwafina, and Keegan-Michael Key, among other celebrities.
Plan for celebrity voices and usage rights
Meta's strategy involves recording the voices of these celebrities and securing right to use them across various platforms. These platforms include Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and even the Ray-Ban Meta glasses. However, negotiations have been challenging as both parties have struggled to agree on terms of use. A time limit has been set on how long any recorded voice can be used, but these contracts could potentially be renewed or extended once they expire.
SAG-AFTRA reaches agreement with Meta on usage terms
SAG-AFTRA, the labor union representing actors and performers, has reportedly reached an agreement with Meta on terms of use. This comes after last year's strike by SAG-AFTRA, demanding provisions to protect actors from job loss due to AI technology. Under these terms, companies are required to pay actors and obtain their consent before using their AI-generated likeness.
Potential costs and launch plans for AI projects
If Meta successfully finalizes a deal with the actors it's negotiating with, it could end up paying millions of dollars in fees. The company aims to finalize these deals before its Connect conference in September, where it plans to launch several AI products. Last year at the same event, Meta introduced a chatbot platform featuring 28 "characters" voiced by celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Paris Hilton, Dwyane Wade, and Kendall Jenner. However, the company recently deciced to scrap this project.
