George Clooney, Meryl Streep, and other Hollywood stars are supporting a new AI licensing standard called the Human Consent Standard, allowing individuals to set terms for the use of their likeness and creative work by AI systems. Developed by RSL Media, this initiative aims to provide people with the ability to control how AI systems can use their identity, character, or creative output.
Building on the RSL Standard
The Human Consent Standard expands upon the Really Simple Licensing (RSL) Standard, launched last year, which enables websites to signal AI systems about content usage. RSL Media, a nonprofit co-founded by Cate Blanchett, oversees the Human Licensing Standard. High-profile supporters include Viola Davis, Tom Hanks, Kristen Stewart, Steven Soderbergh, and backing from agencies like the Creative Artists Agency and Music Artists Coalition.
Technical Implementation and Registry
Eckart Walther, RSL Media co-founder, explained that AI systems can identify the Human Consent Standard through a website’s robots.txt page. This tool instructs web and AI crawlers on content scraping permissions. Unlike the RSL Standard, which applies to content at a specific URL, the Human Consent Standard applies to the underlying work wherever it appears. A registry launching in June will allow individuals to verify their identity and set permissions for likeness and creative work usage, with RSL Media translating these terms into AI-readable signals.
Efforts to Protect Artistic Likeness
Several artists have already taken measures to protect their likeness. Matthew McConaughey trademarked clips of himself, while Taylor Swift applied for a trademark for a photo and soundbites. The Human Consent Standard offers a formalized approach to such protections.
RSL Media's Mission and Future
Cate Blanchett emphasized that RSL Media offers a simple, effective, and free technology for facilitating and activating consent. She highlighted it as the first practical solution empowering individuals, not just public figures, to control AI usage of their work. The registry aims to be a trusted platform for publishing declarations, enabling responsible AI systems to verify permissions.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/928534/rsl-media-human-consent-standard
