Hollywood Agency Partners With AI Firm to Safeguard Celebrity Likenesses

A Hollywood agency is partnering with AI tech firm Veritone to store digital likenesses of celebrities.

The Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which represents sports professionals, television and movie actors, authors and other stars, has developed the CAAvault. This digital asset vault allows assets such as an actor’s voice or likeness to be stored and licensed by businesses.

CAA says its new platform is an ethical way for businesses to use the likenesses of artists it represents, allowing the professional to see where and how his or her voice or image is being used.

“Ethics-led and talent-friendly applications of emerging technologies, like AI, are a top priority for CAA, driving us to innovate new ways to support and protect artists,” said Alexandra Shannon, CAA’s head of strategic development. “The launch of the CAAvault is one such innovation.”

Veritone’s AI technology has been used across a wide variety of industries, including the media and entertainment space. Now, it’s tasked with helping organize and store the CAA’s digital assets.

This isn’t the first time Veritone has worked with digital likenesses and synthetic media. Its MARVEL.ai platform and Veritone Voice solutions enable businesses to create and license their digital voices. Its AI tech has been used by the YouTube show “Good Mythical Morning” to create voice clones of its hosts, as well as a variety of voice actors.

“By partnering with a trusted organization like Veritone, we can maintain the security of the artist’s assets, while working to ensure that AI is responsibly integrated into opportunities across the entertainment landscape,” Shannon said.

“Veritone has championed ethical AI and data security for nearly a decade and this partnership with CAA further exemplifies our ongoing commitment to leveraging technology for the greater good,” said Sean King, Veritone’s general manager for media and entertainment. “Together with CAA, we are resolute in our dedication to safeguarding the interests of talent while raising the bar for data security and ethical AI in the entertainment industry.”

The CAA’s likeness protection platform comes as acting and voiceover professionals are becoming increasingly concerned over their likenesses being misappropriated by generative AI.

High-profile examples including the now-deleted George Carlin comedy special and Drake’s use of Tupac’s voice show how easily AI can manipulate a person’s voice or likeness.

Some protections are starting to emerge, like SAG-AFTRA’s latest deals with TV producers over the use of their voices without permission. Lawmakers are also looking to provide support like the ELVIS Act in Tennessee which protects singers from unauthorized AI use of their voices.