Hollywood will need permission to make AI deepfakes of long-gone stars

California is another step closer to defining how and when moviemakers and others can use AI versions of celebrities in their projects. The California state Senate has passed AB 1836, a law requiring those who want to make an AI replica of a deceased performer get explicit consent from their estates. The bill now goes to Governor Gavin Newsom, who will likely sign the bill thanks to its backing by the unionized performers of SAG-AFTRA and related groups. 

The law covers any digital recreation using AI. That might mean a still image, a voice clone performing a new role, or even a full character in a film made long after their passing. Regardless of the purpose, the producers must get the estate or legal representative of the deceased performer to agree. The new bill comes right after the Senate passed the related AB 2602. That bill focuses on living performers and sets stricter rules for consent before AI replicas can be used. Together, these bills represent a growing recognition of the need to regulate AI’s impact on both the living and the deceased in the entertainment industry.