YouTube has partnered with Hollywood to remove AI-generated videos of celebrities. The platform has struck a deal with the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), one of the most influential agencies in the United States, to help eliminate deepfakes from its site. YouTube will provide its technology to actors and athletes, allowing them to identify AI-generated content featuring their images.
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The company also announced that CAA will be among the first to access a suite of tools designed to protect creators and artists. A few months ago, YouTube revealed it was developing new likeness management technology to detect AI-generated content. The platform is focusing not only on deepfakes of celebrities, such as Tom Cruise’s lookalike, but also on videos that use AI to clone the voice of a singer or band.
According to an official blog post, YouTube will initially provide access to these tools to help shape and build its detection systems.
“Early next year, we will begin testing our latest likeness management technology with top celebrity talent, including award-winning actors and top NBA and NFL athletes,” YouTube said. “In addition to identifying AI-generated content featuring their likeness, this tool will allow users to easily submit removal requests through our privacy complaints process.”
YouTube is taking a more active role in removing AI-created deepfakes and other celebrity content.
Advances in language models have made it easier for AI to clone a celebrity’s appearance and voice. With this new partnership, YouTube will have a direct channel to assist celebrities, many of whom have already been victims of deepfakes.
Notable CAA clients include Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep, and Scarlett Johansson. Other athletes and musicians represented by the agency include Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, Cristiano Ronaldo, and LeBron James. Filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, and JJ Abrams are also clients of CAA.
“By collaborating with CAA, we will gain insight from some of the world’s most influential figures to refine our product before rolling it out to a broader group of creators and artists,” YouTube said. “CAA‘s clients’ direct experience with digital replicas in the evolving AI landscape will be crucial in shaping a tool that responsibly empowers and protects creators and the broader YouTube community.”
Deepfake removal tools are still in the early stages, so content creators and other creatives will need to wait a few months before gaining access to them. At the same time, YouTube is working on alternatives to allow creators to use their content with third-party companies to develop generative AI tools.