FKA twigs has filed a written testimony on artificial intelligence to a U.S. senate subcommittee, revealing that she is developing her own deepfake to interact with fans. She will testify on Capitol Hill today, Rolling Stone reports. The letter advocates for AI as a creative and commercial tool, as long as artists consent and retain control over their representations.
In her written testimony, FKA twigs says her own deepfake has been in development for a year and is “not only trained in [her] personality but also can use [her] exact tone of voice to speak many languages.” She adds, “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.”
The letter continues, “Our careers and livelihoods are in jeopardy, and so potentially are the wider image-related rights of others in society. You have the power to change this and safeguard the future. 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.”
The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property is discussing the NO FAKES (Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe) Act, a bipartisan bill that, if passed, would hold deepfake creators liable in civil claims by the artist. Pitchfork has emailed FKA twigs’ representatives for comment.
