What brands should know before hiring a digital celebrity

“Consumers [are] very confused,” Titus says. “People trust people more than they trust brands, which is why we use these celebrities in the first place, and when suddenly you are starting to use AI, that authenticity is completely lost.” Last year, Ogilvy launched an AI Accountability Act, which included a call for brands to disclose AI use cases.

Virtual models have already become a source of controversy. Back in 2018, dark-skinned digital model Shudu was criticised for being the creation of a white man and taking away opportunities from real Black models, while last year, Levi’s use of AI-generated models drew backlashes for similar reasons, as critics saw it as a cheap way to address the issues of representation. In May, Scarlett Johansson clashed with ChatGPT parent OpenAI over a voice assistant that sounded just like her after the star declined permission to use her actual voice — a cautionary tale for brands who are entering the space. As people increasingly become aware of unauthorised uses of AI, social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube all require labels for AI-generated content.

Data security concerns

Legal experts say brands should prioritise establishing data security protocols. When a talent or agency allows a brand to borrow a digital twin, their data, including body measurements and facial specs, could be lost or hacked, says entertainment lawyer Mikey Glazer. A potential solution is the use of blockchain, a digital ledger associated with an asset (such as the data for a digital twin). If the data is hijacked, the digital twin could be deactivated.

The tech could help to protect talent, especially those with smaller platforms, via allowing them to take further control of their identities, says Jade McSorley, a former model and PhD researcher focusing on technology’s impact on fashion. Since transactions of any asset are recorded on the blockchain, the talent knows when digital twins are used in ways “outside the bounds of the contract”, and has evidence to take action.

That’s especially important for young models who don’t often have a say when their agencies create digital twins based on their likeness, she adds. “Those models and actors who are recognisable have a lot more rights than working fashion models, i.e. myself when I was modelling,” McSorley says. “You are not recognisable, so there is actually not as much we can stand on if our digital version gets misused in any way.”

Becky Owen, CMO of Billion Dollar Boy, warns brands and talent to proceed with care, as the risks of using digital twins go beyond data breach. As technology advances to allow digital clones for everyone, Owen says that it could also perpetuate the stereotypes that fashion has long tried to shy away from.

“If you are getting a body double, are you actually airbrushing yourself? Are you creating an imperfectly perfect version of yourself?” she says. “It won’t have any of your stretch marks or dry skin patches. That is pushing us into a world that we don’t want to be.”

Sign up to receive the Vogue Business newsletter for the latest luxury news and insights, plus exclusive membership discounts.

Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com.