FKA twigs says she’s developing her own deepfake in AI testimony
The singer said her deepfake will interact with fans and journalists to allow more time to focus on music
FKA twigs is developing her own deepfake to allow her more time to work on music, she revealed yesterday (April 30) in front of a US Senate Judiciary subcommittee.
The singer called for further regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) during a testimony on Intellectual Property alongside Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl yesterday at Capitol Hill.
In a letter advocating for the use and regulation of AI, she explained that artists should have control over the way they’re represented by artificial intelligence, including their voices, looks, and personalities.
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"In the past year, I have developed my own deepfake version of myself that is not only trained in my personality but that also can use my exact tone of voice to speak many languages," she told the subcommittee.
She argued that similar technologies are “highly valuable tools”, only when controlled by the artist themselves. “I can grant or refuse consent in a way that is meaningful,” she said.
"What is not acceptable is when my art and my identity can simply be taken by a third party and exploited falsely for their own gain without my consent due to the absence of appropriate legislative control."
She went on to explain that her deepfake - which will be deployed later this year - will allow her time work on music, and will be able to interact with fans in multiple languages, including French, Korean, and Japanese.
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"It means that even with my upcoming album, I can really explain in depth what it's about creatively. It also allows me to spend more time making art," she explained. “Often being a music artist, or any artist in this day and age, requires a lot of press and a lot of promo, a lot of one-liners.”
FKA twigs closed out her impassioned speech by explaining that artists have “always been first to have their work exploited and, in many instances, fraudulently commoditised.”
Last month, more than 200 artists including Jess Glynne and Sam Smith signed an open letter calling for further protection against the use of AI to replicate an artist’s likeness.
Read FKA twigs' full testimony here.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter
