Tom Graham, leading the AI-driven startup Metaphysic, has submitted a request to the U.S. Copyright Office to secure the copyright of an AI representation of himself, highlighting the evolving intersection of identity and technology.
In Brief
In a groundbreaking move, Tom Graham has sought copyright registration to protect an AI-generated version of himself, reflecting his commitment to navigate the complexities of digital identity.
This lifelike AI representation of Tom Graham was developed using Metaphysic's proprietary AI content generation technology, showcasing the advanced capabilities of their software.
Graham aims to pave the way for celebrities and public figures to safeguard their digital identities as generative AI continues to reshape personal representation.
With his recent copyright filing, Tom Graham positions himself as a pioneer, potentially establishing a new framework for others to secure their digital likeness and intellectual property rights in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
To create his digital avatar, Graham recorded a brief video using a smartphone, capturing crucial aspects of his likeness, voice, and biometric data, which were subsequently utilized by Metaphysic's AI tool.
A recent press release mentioned that considerable effort was invested in curating the training dataset and collaborating with Metaphysic's team to refine the AI appearance that Graham envisioned. In addition, they meticulously integrated the AI model outputs with the original video to ensure an accurate and hyper-realistic portrayal of Graham.
Generative AI has the ability to produce realistic content, enabling avatars of everyday individuals to appear in various media without their authorization, which raises concerns about identity and privacy management.
Graham said in a statement.
By establishing his AI likeness and seeking copyright protection, Graham aspires to set an important precedent for public figures and private citizens regarding safeguarding their digital personas and intellectual properties. This intention carries an element of irony, especially given that Metaphysic’s own promotional materials showcase their technology's ability to create lifelike deepfakes of well-known stars like Tom Cruise and Simon Cowell.
In light of recent viral hyperrealistic AI images of public figures like Donald Trump and Pope Francis generated by Midjourney, the topic has gained substantial attention, prompting discussions on content moderation and AI ethics. Midjourney ending its free trial The outcome of Graham's copyright application and the potential establishment of new intellectual property rights remains uncertain.
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Disclaimer
In line with the Trust Project guidelines Cindy, a journalist at Metaverse Post, focuses on topics surrounding web3, NFTs, the metaverse, and AI, often engaging in interviews with key players in the Web3 sector. With over 30 executive interviews under her belt, she brings valuable insights to her readership. Originally hailing from Singapore, she currently resides in Tbilisi, Georgia, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications & Media Studies from the University of South Australia, backed by a decade of experience in journalism and writing.
