Academy Award-nominated actress Keira Knightley recently announced that she will be taking steps to copyright her own face.
Knightley’s unorthodox move comes as more and more workers in the creative and entertainment industries start to realize the impact that artificial intelligence (AI) could have on their jobs and their livelihoods.
Although Knightley has stated that a main concern for actors at this point is to “protect the voice-over industry,” she also feels that she will need more legal recourse for protecting her own likeness. Her concern is a valid one; studios have already suggested they have plans to use AI to “clone background actors” — and use those images forever, all for one shockingly low flat fee.
AI is set to disrupt entire industries and work categories, and creative work is no exception. Although governments, companies, and individuals are still struggling to come to terms with how best to use AI, a battle over whether it can replace humans and their creative output has already come to a head in the much-publicized WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike. The strike has now been going on for longer than two months and has been noteworthy for including both entertainment writers and actors.