Dewdney Drew writes for the AI Journal on AI actors and the legal hurdles facing a digital revolution
The recent debut of “AI actors” – brought into the spotlight by ‘Tilly Norwood’ – has provoked both fascination and unease in equal measure. For some, these digital performers mark the next frontier of creativity: tireless, perfectly consistent and infinitely adaptable. For others, they raise uncomfortable questions about authenticity, artistic integrity and, crucially, legality.
The technology has clearly outpaced the law. As with many creative revolutions, two questions underpin the debate: are we free to create it, and can we protect it following its creation? At present, the first is considerably harder to answer than the second.
In an article for the AI Journal, Dewdney Drew, Head of Brand Protection, explores the below themes:
- Freedom to operate
- Protecting the persona
- Who owns the actor?
- The personality question
The creative industries are rarely short of legal grey areas, but AI actors inhabit a particularly foggy patch. Their potential is evident: they could front advertising campaigns, perform in films, or interact with audiences in real time. Yet the uncertainty surrounding their lawful creation and the absence of clear ownership frameworks is likely to keep them on the margins for now. Pressure from acting unions is also a factor.
"The road to mainstream acceptance will require a combination of technological transparency, legal reform and contractual rigour. The law is beginning to move in this direction: the UK government’s ongoing review of copyright and AI aims to clarify how existing frameworks apply to generative systems. But it will take time.
"Until then, the greatest barrier to AI actors taking centre stage will not be consumer scepticism or lack of creative ambition. It will be the unresolved question of whether the very process of creating them is lawful.
Read the full piece in the AI Journal here.
