Indian singer gets relief as court blocks AI tools violating 'personality rights'

THE Bombay high court has granted relief to composer-singer Arijit Singh, ruling that the use of AI tools to generate content using a celebrity's voice, image, or other attributes without their consent violates "personality rights."

The court noted that celebrities are especially vulnerable to such unauthorised content generation through AI tools.

In an interim order issued last Friday (26), Justice RI Chagla restrained eight online platforms from using Singh's "personality rights" and directed them to remove all such content, including voice conversion tools that mimic his voice, mannerisms, and other attributes.

The singer had moved the court claiming that these platforms provide AI tools to synthesise artificial sound recordings by mimicking his voice, mannerisms and other attributes.

Arijit Singh has consciously refrained from any kind of brand endorsement or gross commercialisation of his personality traits for the past several years, his lawyer Hiren Kamod said.

The high court agreed that Singh should be given interim relief.

"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," the judge said.

The freedom of speech and expression allows for critique and commentary but does not grant the license to exploit a celebrity's persona for commercial gain, Justice Chagla said.

“Making AI tools available that enable the conversion of any voice into that of a celebrity without his/her permission constitutes a violation of the celebrity's personality rights," it added.

Such tools facilitate “unauthorised appropriation and manipulation” of a celebrity's voice, a key component of their personal identity, Justice Chagla said.

Further, such use of the AI technology also undermines celebrities’ ability to prevent “deceptive uses of their identity,” the HC said.

Such platforms are emboldening internet users to create counterfeit sound recordings and videos, it observed.

Singh has gained immense goodwill and reputation over the course of a very successful career, the judge noted.

"Prima facie, I am of the view that the plaintiff's personality traits including his name, voice, photograph/ caricature, image, likeness, persona and other attributes of his personality are protectable elements of his personality rights," Justice Chagla said.

Advocate Kamod told the court that Arijit Singh hails from a small town and has humble beginnings, and now he is one of the most celebrated singers in the world.

The petition, filed through Legasis Partners, sought protection of his personality rights with regard to his name, voice, signatures, photograph, image, caricature, likeness, persona, and various other attributes of his personality against unauthorised/unlicensed commercial exploitation and misuse.

Several YouTube channels were creating memes and GIFs "causing ridicule, embarrassment and humiliation" and affecting the singer's reputation, it said. (PTI)