Speed briefing: The ethics of AI generated avatars.

Transcript

Welcome to your speed briefing on the ethics of AI avatars. In sixty seconds, we'll cover the core concerns: consent, deepfakes, and cultural appropriation. First, consent. Using a person's digital likeness, from their face to their voice, without permission is a major legal risk. This violates the 'right of publicity,' which is the right to control how your identity is used for commercial purposes. Over 96 percent of deepfake content involves non-consensual use of individuals' likenesses. As one ethicist noted after a voice clone of David Attenborough was created, people should have control over representations of their identity. Without clear contracts and explicit consent, companies risk legal action for everything from false endorsement to voice theft. Next, deepfakes. These are hyper-realistic but fake videos, images, or audio created by AI. While some are for entertainment, they are mainly weaponized for malicious purposes. About 96 percent of deepfakes are non-consensual pornographic videos that exclusively target and harm women, a practice one victim called 'virtual rape.' Deepfakes are also used to create political disinformation and scams, worsening the global post-truth crisis by making it harder to distinguish fact from fiction. Finally, cultural appropriation. AI models are trained on vast datasets, often taking cultural elements without respect or acknowledgement. This can trivialize sacred symbols and reinforce stereotypes. Because the infrastructure for AI is concentrated in Western tech corporations, the systems often reproduce and amplify existing cultural hierarchies. This has been described as a new form of digital colonialism, where AI perpetuates power imbalances by misrepresenting or commodifying cultures to which its creators have no claim. From consent to culture, the rise of AI avatars forces us to confront who has control over our digital identities and heritage. That was your speed briefing.