Matthew McConaughey takes action against AI misuse: Interstellar actor trademarks face, voice and expressions

Matthew McConaughey has chosen an unusual legal path to fight the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) fakes. The Hollywood actor has trademarked his own face, voice and expressions to stop unauthorised digital copies, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Over recent months, the US Patent and Trademark Office approved eight trademark applications linked to the Interstellar star. Those were related to short video and audio clips featuring him.

The approved material includes a brief porch video, a festive clip near a Christmas tree and audio of his famous line, ‘Alright alright alright’.

According to Matthew McConaughey, the move ensures his likeness or voice is used only with permission, consent and clear attribution in an AI-driven world.

“My team and I want to know that, when my voice or likeness is ever used, it’s because I approved and signed off on it. We want to create a clear perimeter around ownership with consent and attribution the norm in an AI world,” the publication quoted the actor as stating in an email.

His lawyers say the trademarks create a strong legal tool even before misuse happens. They can block apps or users. If needed, they can take cases to federal court.

With actors like Tom Hanks and Taylor Swift already targeted by AI fakes, McConaughey hopes this sets a useful example globally.

“In a world where we’re watching everybody scramble to figure out what to do about AI misuse, we have a tool now to stop someone in their tracks or take them to federal court,” McConaughey’s attorney, Jonathan Pollack, stated.

Existing state laws in the United States already protect actors from misuse of their image or likeness for commercial gain. US law also allows trademark claims without formal registration. But, official approval gives creators stronger legal backing.

Matthew McConaughey’s legal team believes that trademarking his identity adds a stronger layer of protection. It can be especially effective against AI content that may not directly sell products but still causes harm.

His lawyers admit this approach is new and untested. No other major actor is known to have trademarked themselves so broadly in the AI era.

“I don’t know what a court will say in the end. But, we have to at least test this,” said one of them.

At the same time, McConaughey is not against AI itself. He recently partnered with AI voice company ElevenLabs to release a Spanish version of his newsletter.

Singh’s voice was cloned using AI without permission. This led him to file a lawsuit, Arijit Singh vs Codible Ventures LLP. The case highlighted serious concerns around AI misuse, intellectual property and personality rights.

The Bollywood singer accused the company of using AI to create fake recordings of his voice. The use of his image and name to falsely suggests his involvement in a virtual event, he alleged.

The court ruled in Singh’s favour. It confirmed that his voice, name, image and persona were protected under personality and publicity rights. The judgment warned that AI can easily exploit artists if left unchecked.

“What shocks the conscience of this Court is the manner in which celebrities, particularly performers such as the present Plaintiff, are vulnerable to being targeted by unauthorised generative AI content,” Justice R.I. Chagla stated.