Lainey Wilson’s voice mishandled by AI at congressional hearing: gut punch.

In a congressional hearing on AI, country music star Lainey Wilson testified about the misuse of her voice by an AI company that falsely claimed she endorsed weight-loss gummies. Wilson expressed concern about the violation of her likeness, voice, and identity, stating that it was a “gut punch” to have her name and image used without her permission. The hearing discussed the need for legal boundaries in the use of AI in the entertainment industry. Representatives from both the entertainment industry and AI companies were present at the hearing. Congressman Matt Gaetz emphasized that robots should not be subject to free speech. Last month, non-consensual pornographic deepfake images of Taylor Swift circulated online, prompting a bipartisan group of Senators to introduce legislation making non-consensual sexual deepfakes illegal. House subcommittee Chairman Darrell Issa mentioned that several AI-related bills are being drafted to address the rights and remedies for creators of artistic content. The Recording Academy President and CEO Harvey Mason Jr. highlighted the positive applications of AI, mentioning a new partnership with IBM that would use generative AI for customized content at the upcoming Grammy Awards. The hearing demonstrated the need for regulations to protect entertainers from the misuse of AI technology.