"Sky"Fall

Creativity, Ownership and Platforms

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And if you are wondering about the title, here is the track from the movie Skyfall but there is to more to it in the next section.

DTW

During the Week, Scarlett Johansson accused OpenAI of creating a voice for the ChatGPT system that sounded "eerily similar" to the actress after she declined to voice the chatbot herself.

The controversy between Scarlett Johansson and OpenAI over the voice of the ChatGPT system, "Sky," underscores an ethical dilemma of access and equity in the realm of AI and creative ownership. Johansson accused OpenAI of creating a voice that sounded "eerily similar" to hers after she declined to participate. OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, maintained that Sky's voice was performed by another actress and not intended to mimic Johansson. Nonetheless, OpenAI paused using Sky's voice, acknowledging communication failures.

On the other hand, latest episode of Masters of Scale dives into the world of cutting-edge AI for audio, showcasing a revolutionary development: a complete vocal clone for their founding host, Reid Hoffman. The episode, titled "Creating 'Reid-ish': Unveiling the Power of AI Voices," features CEO Jeff Berman, the Masters of Scale team, and Reid himself, as they tell the story behind the creation of this synthetic voice.

As an academic who is interested in the field of artificial intelligence and its applications in media and entertainment, I found the Masters of Scale episode on "Reid-ish" to be a fascinating exploration of the potential and challenges of AI-generated voices. Here are few key takeaways:

Exciting Opportunities:

• Democratization of Audio Creation: "Reid-ish" demonstrates the power of AI to create high-quality synthetic voices. This technology can empower individuals who may not have the vocal capabilities or resources to create professional-sounding audio content, like audiobooks, podcasts, or even educational materials.

• Enhanced Storytelling: Imagine historical figures narrating their own stories or fictional characters coming to life with unique AI-powered voices. This opens doors for innovative storytelling formats and deeper audience engagement.

• Accessibility and Scalability: AI voices can be a game changer for accessibility. They can create narrated content in multiple languages, catering to a wider audience and overcoming language barriers. Additionally, the ability to quickly generate different voice options allows for faster and more scalable content production.

Considerations and Challenges:

• Ethical Concerns: Transparency and disclosure are essential. Listeners should be aware when they're encountering an AI-generated voice. Additionally, the potential for misuse of this technology for impersonation or manipulation needs careful consideration.

• Impact on Creative Labor: The episode rightly raises concerns about the impact of AI voices on voice actors and narrators. As the technology matures, there will be a need for adaptation and the creation of new creative roles that leverage the unique capabilities of AI.

• The Art of Voice Performance: While AI can replicate speech patterns, it currently lacks the nuance and emotional depth of a human voice performance. There will always be a place for the artistry and authenticity that human voice actors bring to their work.

"Reid-ish" is a significant step forward in AI-powered voice generation. As the technology evolves, we can expect even more realistic and expressive voices. It's crucial to develop this technology responsibly, ensuring it complements and expands the creative landscape rather than replacing human talent.

Overall, AI voices hold immense potential to revolutionize the entertainment industry. By embracing the opportunities and addressing the challenges, we can ensure this technology empowers creators, enhances content, and fosters a more inclusive and accessible audio experience for everyone.

These two developments highlight the ethical tension between technological innovation and the rights of individual artists. On one hand, platforms like OpenAI seek to advance AI capabilities, offering broader access to sophisticated technologies. On the other, there's a risk of exploiting artists' likenesses without consent, raising questions about equity and fair compensation. Johansson's decision to hire legal counsel reflects broader concerns about the protection of personal and creative rights in an era where AI can replicate human attributes with unsettling accuracy.

Indian movie stars are gaining legal protection for their unique traits and expressions. This "personality right" includes aspects like Amitabh Bachchan's voice, Rajinikanth's style, and Anil Kapoor's use of the word "Jhakaas." These can't be commercially used without permission. Various Indian Courts have granted injunctions against unauthorized use of celebrities unique traits. While the law is new, it protects celebrities from losing revenue due to misuse of their identity. The Delhi High Court decision in September 2023 protecting the personality rights of Anil Kapoor and, earlier, Amitabh Bachchan, represent a positive step towards safeguarding Indian celebrities' identities. However, a closer look reveals some aspects that require further development.

Strengths:

• Protecting Distinct Traits: The judgments acknowledge the value of unique characteristics like Bachchan's voice or Kapoor's signature dialogue. This encourages individuality and incentivizes artists to develop their brand.

• Combatting Misuse for Profit: The injunctions granted against unauthorized commercial use prevent celebrities from losing revenue due to impersonation or exploitation of their image.

Weaknesses:

• Lack of Clear Statutory Framework: The absence of a dedicated law on personality rights creates uncertainty.Courts rely on interpretations of privacy and property rights, leaving room for inconsistent rulings.

• Threshold of "Easily Identifiable" Unclear: The requirement for the celebrity to be readily identifiable in the infringing material can be subjective. This ambiguity could hinder protection for lesser-known artists.

• Fair Use vs. Infringement: The distinction between "fair use" (e.g., news reporting) and infringement remains blurry. This might discourage satire or artistic interpretations that use celebrity elements.

India should consider enacting a comprehensive personality rights law. This would provide a clearer framework for both celebrities and potential infringers. Additionally, the concept of "fair use" needs clearer definition to ensure artistic expression isn't stifled. Overall, while these judgments offer a welcome legal shield for Indian stars, a more robust legal framework is needed to fully protect their unique identities and foster a thriving creative environment.

We could use the SKYFALL framework applied to the entertainment or creative industry, using NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) as the foundation:

SKY (Opportunities):

• S - Self-Promotion and Fan Engagement: Creative professionals can leverage digital platforms to showcase their talents, build a fanbase, and directly connect with their audience. This can lead to opportunities like brand collaborations, attracting clients, or even crowdfunding creative projects.

• K - Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration: Platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or specialized online communities allow creators to share their creative process, tutorials, or behind-the-scenes glimpses. This fosters a sense of community, educates aspiring creators, and can lead to collaborations.

• Y - Yielding Revenue through Content Monetization: Digital platforms offer various tools for creators to generate income directly from their work. This can be through subscriptions, selling merchandise or artwork online, pay-per-view content, or enabling tips or donations.

FALL (Downsides):

• F - Fake Accounts and Identity Theft: Creative professionals can be vulnerable to fake accounts impersonating them online. This can steal potential opportunities or damage their reputation.

• A - Artistic Ownership and Copyright Issues: Digital platforms can make it easier for creative work to be copied or plagiarized. Understanding copyright and using proper protection measures are crucial.

• L - Loss of Control and Privacy Concerns: Sharing a significant portion of your creative work online can lead to a loss of control over its use. Creators need to be strategic about what they share and consider using copyright protection tools.

• L - Licensing and Revenue Sharing: Understanding licensing agreements and revenue sharing models on digital platforms is essential. Creators need to ensure they are fairly compensated for their work.

By keeping NIL at the core, this framework highlights how digital platforms can be both empowering and challenging for those in the entertainment and creative industries. The ethical dilemma here is balancing the benefits of AI advancements with the need to respect and safeguard the creative outputs and identities of individuals, ensuring that technology serves as a tool for equity rather than a mechanism for exploitation.

OTW

Over the Weekend, we celebrated 17th Anniversary of Hyderabad Runners. In 2007, Hyderabad Runners Society was born , and since then, it has grown in leaps and bounds, all thanks to the Boundless energy and camaraderie of everyone in our community.

As usual, it is time to renew our commitment to the core values of Community First, Equality & Integrity, Passion and Collaboration. Over last few years, my running community, Peerancheruvu Runners, has delivered multiple programs to create more engagement for the residents to foster an environment for taking up long distance running as means to a healthy life style.

One of my favourite part of running the Mumbai Marathon is getting the crowd support at Peddar Road. Not only the Peddar Road but the entire South Mumbai comes alive and owns the marathon by being kind to the runners.

So during this Sunday Long Run, I had a quick discussion with Hyderabad Runners’ Founder Rajesh Vetcha to create a Civic Engagement Program for our Flagship Hyderabad Marathon in August 2024 and beyond.

We are excited to start our work on a Civic Engagement Program to involve families, residential communities, and corporate teams as cheering squads for runners in the Annual Hyderabad Marathon. This initiative embodies our core values: Community First, emphasizing building and benefiting from a supportive community; Equality & Integrity, ensuring every runner is valued equally and interactions are honest and ethical; Passion, driven by our love for running and fueled by dedicated runners and volunteers; and Collaboration, highlighting the collective effort of our 6000+ strong community to create one of India’s largest marathons.
Do let me know if you ideas or would like to join in the initiative.

I Love You

Shailendra

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