Tom Hanks warned his fans to not be fooled by advertisements using his image and voice to advertise “miracle cures” that supposedly cure diabetes.
Scammers used AI fakes of Hanks to advertise a dental plan scam last yr, and now they seem like at it again with a brand new series of ads. In an Instagram post, Hanks said: “There are several ads online falsely using my name, image and voice promoting miracle cures and miracle drugs. These ads were created without my consent, fraudulently and by AI.”
Hanks isn't the one celebrity targeted by AI scammers. Yellowstone star and country singer Lainey Wilson testified before Congress earlier this yr during a hearing on AI and mental property. She said her image was used to advertise weight-loss gummy bears without her permission.
Although there isn’t any federal right of publicity, most states have laws protecting individuals from the unauthorized use of their identities for business purposes. These laws vary barely from state to state, but generally they grant celebrities the exclusive right to regulate and take advantage of the business use of their names, images, and likenesses.
Since there are not any federal laws and anyone can easily create AI fakes, these hit-and-run AI scams on social media are very difficult to stop.
New California laws on digital replica
The California Senate has passed two latest bills to manage AI-generated recreations of artists and is now awaiting Governor Gavin Newsom's signature to grow to be state law.
Media union SAG-AFTRA is committed to raised protection for artists and welcomed the passage of the bills. Last yr, we saw someone create an AI-generated comedy show using the voice of the late comedian George Carlin – to the dismay of his family.
AB 1836 now requires the consent of the family or the owners of the estate of deceased artists to create a digital copy of them.
In an announcement praising AB 1836, the union stated, “The California Senate simply said NO to those that need to use digital recreations of deceased artists in movies, television shows, video games, audiobooks, sound recordings, and more without first obtaining the consent of those artists' estates.”
SAG-AFTRA has also lobbied hard for greater protection of the likenesses of living artists. Actors, voice artists and other artists have expressed concern that Hollywood production firms could use AI to duplicate them without consent or payment.
AB 2602 prohibits employers from using AI-generated digital replicas instead of human actors under certain circumstances. If Newsom signs the law, employers wouldn’t be allowed to make use of AI replicas of a performer's voice or image if it replaces work that the performer could have done in person.
In the absence of federal laws on AI, California is moving forward with the introduction of state laws to manage the technology. The controversial AI safety bill AB 1047 is on Newsom's desk awaiting his signature. There are rumors that some tech firms may consider leaving California if the law goes into effect.
Artists and SAG-AFTRA may have a good time AB 1836 and AB 2602, but in the event that they grow to be law, could we see film production follow tech firms in an exodus from California?
