FKA twigs has delivered an impassioned letter to the US Senate advocating for the regulation of AI, also announcing that she’s created a deepfake of herself that will interact with fans and journalists so she can focus on her music. The actor and singer told a US Senate Judiciary subcommittee that artists and celebrities should have control over their likeness, and noted AI’s usefulness in streamlining the creative process if done with consent and regulation.
“In the past year, I have developed my own deepfake version of myself that is not only trained in my personality but also can use my exact tone of voice to speak many languages,” she said in her written testimony published yesterday (June 30).
“I will be engaging my AI twigs later this year to extend my reach and handle my online social media interactions, whilst I continue to focus on my art from the comfort and solace of my studio. These and similar emerging technologies are highly valuable tools both artistically and commercially when under the control of the artist.”
She added that her digital clone will be able to communicate in French, Korean and Japanese. “It means that even with my upcoming album, I can really explain in depth what it’s about creatively.”
Emphasising how “exciting” she believes AI is for a “future-facing artist” like herself, twigs went on to explain that, without regulation, it puts the livelihoods of artists in jeopardy. “What is not acceptable is when my art and my identity can simply be taken by a third party and exploited falsely for their own gain without my consent due to the absence of appropriate legislative control,” she said.
“History has shown us time again that in moments of great technological advancement, those in the arts have always been the first to have their work exploited and, in many instances, fraudulently commoditised,” she continued. “That the very essence of our being at its most human level can be violated by the unscrupulous use of AI to create a digital facsimile that purports to be us, and our work, is inherently wrong. It is therefore vital that as an industry and as legislators we work together to ensure we do all we can to protect our creative and intellectual rights as well as the very basis of who we are.”