AI Revolution in Cinema: Actors Must Protect Digital Likeness, Warns Shekhar Kapur

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Goa: The film industry is undergoing a significant transformation with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), and actors must take steps to safeguard their digital likeness, according to filmmaker Shekhar Kapur. Kapur, the director of the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), made this statement during a session at the festival in Goa, where he discussed the impact of AI on filmmaking, storytelling, and distribution. Kapur emphasized that actors need to legally protect their digital likeness, citing examples of Tom Cruise, Hrithik Roshan, and Anil Kapoor, who have copyrighted themselves. He noted that this is essential in the new world of AI, where digital replicas of celebrities can be created without their consent. The IFFI session, 'An Eurasian Festival Frontier: Do We Need to Redefine Cinema in the World of AI?', was jointly hosted by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), the ministry of information and broadcasting, and the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG). The discussion highlighted the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in the film industry. Kapur also spoke about the importance of emotional performances in cinema, which he believes are beyond the reach of AI for now. He cited examples of actors like Cate Blanchett and Shabana Azmi, whose emotional connections with their characters cannot be replicated by AI. The ministry of electronics and information technology (IT) has proposed amendments to the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which would require social media platforms to label AI-generated or synthetic content. However, there is still no explicit copyright provision in India for personality ownership. Legal experts say that the law will need to evolve to keep pace with the disruptions caused by AI. They emphasize the need for a comprehensive solution to protect celebrities' personality rights and prevent the misuse of their likeness. As the film industry continues to adapt to the changing landscape, Kapur's warning serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding actors' digital likeness in the age of AI.