A 23-year-old British woman agreed to become a model for an artificial intelligence startup and didn’t realize she would no longer have «control over her own face.»
A 23-year-old British woman agreed to become a model for an artificial intelligence startup and didn’t realize she would no longer have «control over her own face.»
The Daily Star reports that the girl was paid around £1,500 for this, but she later experienced deep moral confusion over how the company could use these images.
Lucy (name changed for privacy reasons) received a private message on Instagram from a startup representative offering her to become the face of an AI model. She was intrigued by both the idea and the amount offered. She says she was inspired by celebrities, including Kendall Jenner, who have already created their own digital avatars.
«It was just the first direct message from a scout who wanted to use me for an AI model. The money was the main thing that attracted me. I think the idea of becoming an AI model was also interesting to me — I had seen celebrities doing it on social media, so I thought: why not give it a try? — reports Manchester Evening News. — I was interested in the project itself, and the money was a nice bonus. I didn’t realize that I was signing up for something so long-term and restrictive,» she said.
The contract, under which she was to provide video footage to train an AI model, contained provisions that effectively deprived her of the ability to earn money as a digital content creator. In particular, she is no longer allowed to personally promote brands if her persona is already being used by the company in its own projects.
Lucy provided the startup with her videos and photos so the company could train its AI model. The agreement stipulated that the startup had the right to use her face anywhere without further consent from her. After the work was completed, Lucy reviewed the terms of the agreement — and realized that she had lost control of her own image.
«I was happy to get the money, but when I reread the terms, I was terribly disappointed. Now I’m afraid that my face could be used in an inappropriate context,» she said.
Lucy’s story is the focus of a new documentary by filmmaker Sam Tullen, which explores the rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence models in the digital content industry and the risks faced by people who agree to share their biometric data for commercial use.
«I went to one of the AI sites and saw hundreds of people who could speak any text, simply entered into a form. When I found out that these were real faces of real people, it became clear: we need to show this side of technology to a wide audience,» the director shared.
