Recently Bruce Willis's digital likeness was licensed for use in a Russian telecom commercial. And as both technology and acceptance of 'deepfakes' like this are improving, opportunities will soon abound for people with value attached to their names and likenesses. But who controls a digital instance of someone? Can an actor sell his or her likeness in perpetuity, to star in films when they're long dead? Can a celebrity endorse products without ever going near them or consuming them?
And what happens to the aspiring actors and musicians who would otherwise have gotten the less-publicized gigs that could now go to the mere image of someone way more famous than they are? The possibilities are endless...
GUEST: Will Bedingfield, London-based staff writer at WIRED
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