Selling your face to AI could cost more than you think

Actors are increasingly feeling the consequences of selling their likenesses for AI-generated videos, as companies use these digital replicas in ways that can damage reputations or promote questionable content. This emerging trend highlights the tensions between quick cash opportunities for struggling performers and the long-term implications of losing control over how their image appears across digital media.

The big picture: Actor complaints about misused AI likenesses reveal a growing problem as the technology becomes more sophisticated and financially lucrative for companies.

• Adam Coy, a 29-year-old New York actor, licensed his face and voice to MCM for just $1,000, only to later discover his likeness being used to make apocalyptic predictions.
• South Korean actor Simon Lee found his AI avatar promoting “questionable health cures” on social media platforms, leaving him embarrassed by the association with apparent scams.

Industry momentum: The AI avatar market is experiencing significant financial growth and attracting major investment.

• UK-based Synthesia doubled its valuation to $2.1 billion in January, according to CNBC.
• The company recently secured a $2 billion partnership with Shutterstock aimed at creating more realistic AI avatars.

Why this matters: The financial temptation for actors to license their likenesses will likely intensify as the technology improves and becomes more widespread.

• Many actors sign contracts without fully understanding the potential reputational damage that could result from how their digital twins might be used.
• The phenomenon creates a concerning power imbalance between cash-strapped performers and companies that can exploit their images in potentially harmful ways.

Reading between the lines: This situation echoes themes from the dystopian series Black Mirror, where technological innovations often lead to unexpected and troubling consequences for individuals who didn’t anticipate the full implications of their decisions.