Holly Herndon, the American musician and composer, has sold deep-fake technology by allowing fans to use a digital version of her to create original artwork they can then sell.
It has been reported that according to an announcement from Herndon on Twitter that users who want to make their own deepfakes using the musician’s unique voice and the image will have the opportunity to sell their minted creations using nonfungible token (NFT) marketplace Zora.
Herndon said that fans can submit their digital copies to be approved by the project’s DAO and would receive 50% of any auction profits.
However, the project said that it would initially release three “genesis” Holly+ NFTs along with submissions from the public, which will be minted using a smart contract and auctioned on Zora next month. Users will receive half of any profits, with 40% given to the DAO and the remainder to Herndon herself.
The report said that the reserve price for two of the genesis NFTs is 15 Ether (ETH), around $48,150, as of August 13.
Herndon said:
“Creating work with the voices of others is something to embrace. Anyone can submit artwork using my likeness.”
Likewise, Herndon’s digital twin, called Holly+ — may have significant implications for artists wanting to maintain control over their image and voice. Though the musician’s first two NFTs are seemingly unlikely to be mistaken for a natural speaking or singing voice, deepfakes have often been used to spread misinformation or otherwise manipulate the truth. In this case, with the artist’s consent and encouragement, and with the technology likely to improve in the future, more realistic, and profitable, digital versions of Herndon could arise. At the moment, the DAO offers a check for profiting on non-approved voice clips.
Thus, for the release of Holly+ last month, she said:
“Vocal deepfakes are here to stay. A balance needs to be found between protecting artists, and encouraging people to experiment with a new and exciting technology. That is why we are running this experiment in communal voice ownership.”
Source: Cointelegraph | Image: Jezebel
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