Metaphysic CEO Tom Graham Becomes First Person to File for Copyright Registration of AI Likeness Creating New Digital Property Rights

Tom Graham, CEO of generative AI pioneer Metaphysic, has made history today as the first person to submit for copyright registration his AI likeness with the U.S. Copyright Office. As the industry leader in creating hyperreal content powered by generative AI, Metaphysic champions individual ownership and control of their AI likenesses and biometric data. By leveraging legal institutions and existing law and regulation, Graham, through this submission, demonstrates the increasingly fine line between reality and computer-generated media as he and Metaphysic seek to create, for the first time, a new bundle of intellectual property rights that must be available to any individual in the future.

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“Generative AI can create content that looks and feels real, and regular people’s avatars can be inserted into content by third parties without their consent. This is not right, and we should never lose control over our identity, privacy or biometric data,” said Thomas Graham, CEO of Metaphysic. “I hope that copyright registration of the photo-realistic AI-generated version of myself will increase my ability to take action against unauthorized AI impersonations of myself in the future. Today’s law supports that. We all need to work hard to ensure that future laws and regulations strengthen individual’s rights and protect vulnerable members of society.”

Producing the AI likeness required Graham to record a three-minute video of himself on a mobile phone to capture his likeness, voice, and biometric data. Once received, Metaphysic utilized its industry-leading hyperreal AI tools to create an AI avatar of present-day Graham. Graham put a lot of effort into creating and curating the training dataset and working with the team at Metaphysic to hone in on the AI look he wanted. Beyond iterating on the look of his AI likeness, Graham and the team also took steps to composite and merge the AI model output into the underlying video to create an accurate representation of a hyperrealistic AI version of himself.

As Metaphysic develops new technologies that shift the future of entertainment and the internet, maintaining data ownership and protecting individuals’ rights will be critical to the mass adoption of AI technologies. This initial process of registering copyright in Graham’s AI likeness provides a framework for how other individuals and public figures can take steps to protect their identities, performances and brands.

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The information provided in this statement, including future comments and commentary concerning the subject matter does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. All information in this statement is for general informational purposes only. It is both Graham and Metaphysic’s interpretation of current law in the United States that Graham’s AI likeness is a man-made work that qualifies for copyright protection within the meaning of the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, as amended, and accordingly, registrable with the U.S. Copyright Office. However, it is not clear how laws and regulations will develop in the future or the extent to which registering copyright in an AI likeness will give individuals rights and remedies against third parties that infringe such copyright. Graham and Metaphysic hope that his actions advance the evolving discussion surrounding privacy and individual rights in the context of rapidly advancing generative AI technologies that are becoming increasingly realistic and indistinguishable from reality. Should further analysis or explanation of this subject matter be required, please consult with a qualified attorney for advice pertaining to your specific legal situation.’

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