FKA Twigs Speaks Out on Her AI Clone and the Risks of Unauthorized Deep Fakes

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property heard testimony from British singer-songwriter FKA Twigs, real name Tahliah Debrett Barnett, regarding the risks associated with artificial intelligence. 

As an artist whose music and performances are used by outside parties to train artificial intelligence models, she expressed that she was particularly concerned. She claimed that while trying to create a deepfake of herself, the technology’s power has been obvious. 

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The artist stated in a statement, “Over the past year, I have created my deepfake version of myself that is not only trained in my personality but also can speak multiple languages using my exact tone of voice.” “I continue to work on my art from the comfort and solace of my studio, but later this year I will be interacting with my ‘AI twigs’ to broaden my reach and manage my online social media interactions.”

FKA Twigs emphasised that, when applied appropriately and with the subject’s permission, deepfake technology can be helpful and realistic in some situations. When in the hands of the artist, these and related new technologies are extremely valuable instruments for both artistic and economic purposes. 

What is unacceptable, she said, is when someone can easily take my identity and my art and use them falsely for their benefit without getting my permission because there isn’t enough regulatory oversight in place. The singer specifically urged those in positions of authority to pass laws governing deepfake technology and cautioned them against making the same mistakes that were made when the internet was initially created. 

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We had no idea that the internet would become such an integral part of our daily lives three decades ago. “Those who are vulnerable, such as artists and young people, were not protected by policies and controls that kept up with the rapid advancement of technology,” the speaker stated. 

Read the official Document here

FKA Twigs has expressed concern about how generative AI businesses are using her intellectual property. Eight American newspapers filed a lawsuit against Microsoft and Open AI, the company that created ChatGPT, on Tuesday for allegedly exploiting their work as training data without permission.

The use of deepfake technology without the subject’s consent is currently not prohibited by any federal legislation in the United States. People in abusive relationships have been harmed most by this, as they are more frequently the targets of deep fake pornography used in retaliation.

Deepfake pornographic photos of Taylor Swift went viral earlier this year on social media site X (previously Twitter), underscoring the need for additional legal safeguards. They were removed by content moderators, drawing the public’s attention to the problem.