The Display Actors Guild – American Federation of Tv and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) put out an announcement on Jan. 26, 2024, hitting again at two AI scandals in latest weeks: express AI deepfakes of musician Taylor Swift circulating on X (previously Twitter) and the broader web, and a comedy particular YouTube video that impersonates the late comic George Carlin and was marketed as AI generated, however which a spokesperson of the creators mentioned was truly human written and an elaborate joke.
It makes excellent sense and is in step with the union’s prior place of skepticism towards AI throughout its strike and finally, settlement to resume manufacturing with studios, with the settlement that human actors would management their very own AI likenesses generated on movie and TV productions.
A scandalous month for AI generated content material
It’s unclear if Taylor Swift is a SAG-AFTRA member, however she’s acted earlier than and is rumored to be within the upcoming Deadpool 3, and in the course of the previous week, varied X accounts and web sites akin to Celeb Jihad posted deepfaked photorealistic photos of her in varied lewd and express scenes involving followers of her professional American soccer participant boyfriend Travis Kelce’s NFL staff the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
X was sluggish to cease the unfold of the photographs (which remained up for 17 hours and acquired 45 million views for probably the most considered posts), however did lastly start eradicating them and related accounts, and as we speak blocked all searches of Swift’s title.
In the meantime Carlin was made the topic of a brand new comedy particular titled “George Carlin: I’m Glad I’m Useless,” launched on January 11, 2024, by “Dudesy” a so-called comedy AI program created by comic Will Sasso previously of “Mad TV” and podcaster Chad Kultgen, to a lot criticism on-line by followers and finally, a copyright infringement lawsuit from Carlin’s daughter. The video was taken offline after the lawsuit was filed.
“The event and dissemination of pretend photos — particularly these of a lewd nature — with out somebody’s consent should be made unlawful. As a society, we’ve got it in our energy to regulate these applied sciences, however we should act now earlier than it’s too late,” SAG acknowledged.
Early on, some alleged the 2 are performing an elaborate bit as an AI program to spoof the hype and fears across the tech, presumably utilizing AI instruments to assist them with this, however a consultant for the duo advised Ars Technica in article revealed as we speak that “It’s a fictional podcast character created by two human beings, Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen…The YouTube video ‘I’m Glad I’m Useless’ was utterly written by Chad Kultgen.”
However simply yesterday, SAG-AFTRA launched an announcement underneath the impression the Carlin particular was AI-generated, alongside its concern for the true AI-generated Swift express deepfakes. Learn it in full right here:
January 26, 2024
SAG-AFTRA is working with lawmakers who perceive the significance of performing instantly to go laws that protects people’ voices and likenesses — each within the case of residing and deceased performers.
The sexually express, A.I.-generated photos depicting Taylor Swift are upsetting, dangerous, and deeply regarding. The event and dissemination of pretend photos — particularly these of a lewd nature — with out somebody’s consent should be made unlawful. As a society, we’ve got it in our energy to regulate these applied sciences, however we should act now earlier than it’s too late. SAG-AFTRA continues to assist laws by U.S. Rep. Joe Morelle, the Stopping Deepfakes of Intimate Pictures Act, to verify we cease exploitation of this nature from occurring once more. We assist Taylor and ladies in every single place who’re the victims of this type of theft of their privateness and proper to autonomy.
Equally, George Carlin’s legacy was shaped out of a lifetime of lived expertise and many years of honing his astute observational expertise whereas demonstrating a tireless dedication to the artwork of comedy. Firms or people trying to duplicate a person’s artistic work for revenue, publicity or clout are infringing upon mental property rights and devaluing the essence of human artistry. We should keep in mind that every part generated by A.I. originates from a human artistic supply and human creativity should be protected. SAG-AFTRA’s authorized staff has been working with lawmakers who perceive the significance of performing instantly to go laws that protects people’ voices and likenesses — each within the case of residing and deceased performers. Households shouldn’t should see their family members exploited for revenue. We assist the Carlin household, who’re pursuing authorized motion in opposition to these utilizing the comedian’s work with out looking for consent or providing compensation.
WH backs Congressional motion, and two Ai picture payments have been launched
It’s not simply SAG-AFTRA calling for legal guidelines to vary within the wake of the speedy unfold of AI imagery from generator fashions and applications akin to OpenAI’s DALL-E 3 (which powers Microsoft Designer and Bing Picture Creator), open-source mannequin Secure Diffusion (made by Stability AI and Runway), and Midjourney: the White Home spokesperson mentioned this concerning the Swift illicit AI deepfakes in a press convention:
“We’re alarmed by the stories of the…circulation of photos that you simply simply laid out – of false photos to be extra precise, and it’s alarming,” White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre advised ABC Information White Home Correspondent Karen L. Travers.
“Whereas social media corporations make their very own impartial choices about content material administration, we imagine they’ve an essential function to play in implementing their very own guidelines to stop the unfold of misinformation, and non-consensual, intimate imagery of actual folks,” she added.
She additionally acknowledged: “In fact Congress ought to take legislative motion. That’s the way you cope with a few of these points,” in accordance with The Verge.
Republican Congressman Tom Keane of New Jersey has launched a invoice calling for all AI generated photos to be labeled, and joined together with his Home of Representatives colleague, Democratic Congressman Joseph Morelle of New York, on the Stopping Deepfakes of Intimate Pictures Act, which might “make non-consensual deepfakes a federal crime,” and permit purveyors to be fined and despatched to federal jail for 10 years.
Each payments are awaiting voting by way of committee and onto the total Home and a Senate model being launched, earlier than they are often voted on by the total Congress and signed or vetoed by the President. However at this price, with seemingly most individuals up in arms concerning the difficulty, there appears a excessive public demand for speedy motion from lawmakers. The large questions: will they act, when, and the way?
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