Singer, songwriter, producer, dancer & actor Tahliah Debrett Barnett (“FKA twigs”) and Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl shared powerful testimony during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property hearing earlier today in the nation's capital about the importance of guardrails to protect an individual's voice and likeness as well as the responsibility of tech platforms as artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly evolves. The discussion focused on the bipartisan Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act – a proposal introduced by Senators Chris Coons, Marsha Blackburn, Amy Klobuchar, and Thom Tillis that would offer federal protections against the use of non-consensual digital replications in audiovisual works or sound recordings for all Americans.
Multi-hyphenate talent, FKA twigs throughout acknowledged the importance of consent from the individual whose being is the very essence of this technology. “The fact that somebody could take my voice, change lyrics, change messaging or work with an artist that I didn't, it really leaves me very vulnerable. If legislation isn't put in place to protect artists, not only will we let artists who really care about what we do – that have spent a long time developing themselves - but it would also mean that fans wouldn't be able to trust people that they've spent so many years investing in.”
Kyncl's op-ed published today in The Hill, titled Four Rules To Make Artificial Intelligence Work For Humans further laid out the importance of Consent, Monetization, Attribution and Provenance as AI is developed. He expressed, “These proposals would establish clear ground rules, helping to prevent a world where AI can appropriate a person's identity without their permission. This would also have a 'halo effect,' helping to curb misinformation, identity theft, and hate-fueled content.”
Watch The NO FAKES Act: Protecting Americans from Unauthorized Digital Replicas hearing here.
