British singer FKA Twigs told the Senate about creating her own deepfake version of herself. She wrote to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, saying she made this deepfake over the last year.
She plans to use it to connect with her fans online while she focuses on making art. This deepfake version of herself can talk in her voice in different languages, like French, Korean, and Japanese. She shared this during the hearing, saying it helps her explain her upcoming album in detail.
The hearing, called “Protecting Americans from Unauthorized Digital Replicas,” talked about the effects of digital copies online. Twigs, whose real name is Tahliah Debrett Barnett, asked for more rules on deepfakes during her testimony.
She explained how songs are online with her and other artists that she didn’t make, which makes her feel exposed. If there aren’t laws to protect artists, fans might lose trust in the people they follow.
Twigs found it strange that she had to explain why artists need more protection from deepfakes. She said her art, her identity, and her brand belong to her. She also submitted a written statement before the hearing, talking about how she made a deepfake version of herself. She said it’s okay when artists use these technologies, but it’s wrong when others use it without their permission for their own benefit.
