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A New Kind of AI Copy Can Fully Replicate Famous People. The Law Is Powerless.

Jan 01, 2024 - politico.com
Martin Seligman, a renowned American psychologist, has had an AI chatbot modeled after him by a former graduate student, Yukun Zhao, and his team in China. The chatbot, named "Ask Martin," was created by feeding all of Seligman's works into AI software, resulting in a bot that provides advice based on Seligman's ideas. Similarly, tech entrepreneur Alex Furmansky created a chatbot version of Belgian psychotherapist Esther Perel. Both Seligman and Perel have accepted the existence of their AI counterparts, despite initial concerns about their creation without consent.

The creation of these AI chatbots has raised legal and ethical questions about the use of personal likeness and intellectual property. A proposed U.S. bill, the NO FAKES Act, aims to regulate the creation of AI-generated digital replicas, allowing individuals to authorize and profit from their AI-generated likeness. However, the global nature of AI technology presents challenges in enforcing such laws. Additionally, there are concerns about the potential misuse of confidential information shared with these chatbots, particularly in countries with strict surveillance policies like China.

Key takeaways:

  • Martin Seligman, an influential American psychologist, has an AI chatbot modeled after him, created by a team led by his former graduate student, Yukun Zhao. The chatbot, named 'Ask Martin', was built using AI software and all of Seligman's written works.
  • The creation of AI chatbots modeled after real people, including living individuals, has raised ethical and legal concerns. This includes issues of consent, copyright, and the potential misuse of personal data.
  • Legislation is being proposed in the U.S., such as the NO FAKES Act, to curb the rise of unauthorized digital replicas and allow individuals to authorize and profit from the use of their AI-generated likeness. However, the global nature of AI technology presents challenges to the enforcement of such laws.
  • The AI chatbot 'Ask Martin' is intended to help Chinese citizens with mental health issues, given the difficulty in accessing confidential help from therapists in China. However, concerns have been raised about the potential for the Chinese government to use the chatbot for surveillance and control.
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