New California Laws Aim to Protect Actors From Unauthorized AI Clones

California is the latest state to establish safety measures for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the entertainment industry. Under a bill signed into law on Sept. 17 by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Hollywood studios must obtain explicit permission from actors and performers before using generative AI to create their “digital replicas.” The bill, known as AB 2602, defines a digital replica as a “computer-generated, highly realistic electronic representation that is readily identifiable as the voice or visual likeness of an individual” embodied in films, TV shows, video games, sound recordings, and more, in which the actual individual either did not appear or the “fundamental character” of that appearance has been materially altered....