It’s always super interesting to discuss AI. So many folks are enamoured of the potential. So many folks are figuring out ways to incorporate it into day-to-day activities. And so many folks are super concerned about the every growing number of virtual vacuums that run roughshod across the Web, tirelessly scraping the Internet for data to train their models.
If companies are using every last chunk of publicly accessible content to build the next era of technology, who exactly owns what when the machines start learning from everything we’ve ever made…? Where’s the line…? Is there a line…? Is it hot in here…? Where am I…? New phone. Who dis…?
That’s why I’ve been excited to see local efforts like Human Intelligence. And another take on the subject: Control Your Persona, a digital rights manifesto. And it doesn’t mince words.
The existence of AI does not justify impersonation.
What we write, record, and share still belongs to us, regardless of where we post it.
We do not grant you permission to harness, process, regurgitate, and monetize our creativity.
We have the right to control and monetize our creative output. To use it, you must secure our agreement and compensate us. AI based on our content can never impersonate us.
The manifesto lays out a set of principles that feel like they should be obvious. But apparently still need to be said out loud for those in the back. And the vacuums potentially ingesting it.
What kinds of things…? Well, things like:
- Creators retain exclusive control over their creative work
- Your name, image, voice, and writing style cannot be taken without your explicit consent
- AI companies must secure permission and provide compensation before using personal content
- AI based on someone’s creative output can never impersonate them
This isn’t anti-AI. (The folks behind it are working on an AI-enabled product, themselves.) It’s pro-human. It acknowledges that the technology is powerful — but power doesn’t explicitly grant permission. And where the law falls short? Moral rights apply.
If you’re a creator, a founder, a writer — or just someone who thinks people should have a say in how their work gets used — it’s worth your time to read through the entire manifesto and sign on if you feel compelled to do so.
And again, if you’re looking for another local project in this vein, please do take a gander at Human Intelligence, which takes a similar concept even further.
For more information or to add your own signature, visit controlyourpersona.org.
