The talent agency WME announced a partnership with the technology firm Vermillio on Tuesday. Vermillio has created a platform, Trace ID, that could insulate WME clients from thefts of their likeness and intellectual property. The partnership will also look for ways to use the technology to allow clients to monetize their likeness and image themselves. Even after a deal with SAG-AFTRA, some performers remained dissatisfied with the A.I. protections. The contract does not prohibit studios from using “synthetic fakes” created through A.I. by melding recognizable features from real actors to fabricate a character. A.I.-generated images also proliferate online, like the fake, sexually explicit images of Taylor Swift that appeared recently. WME said its primary concern was protecting its clients. “We have been at this for a while to try and tackle this issue,” said Chris Jacquemin, WME’s head of digital strategies. Deepfakes involving well-known actors and entertainers have been an issue for years. Vermillio will aid in automating the process of tracking and authenticating images of the clients that appear online. WME and Vermillio said the partnership could also help compensate performers if studios wanted, for instance, to use A.I. to have someone’s voice translate content into other languages. Dan Neely, the entrepreneur behind Vermillio, said, “With this authenticity, talent can provide fans the novel entertainment experiences they want while protecting and empowering themselves.”
