AI Cloning Unlocks New Monetisation Avenue for Creators & Celebrities

AI cloning is creating a new monetisation opportunity for celebrities and digital creators by allowing them to license AI-generated versions of their faces and voices for commercial use. The technology is also being used as an advertising solution, branded content and digital media, so that public figures can earn money without having to be on-site for every shoot.

As brands delve into AI-generated content, the development has the potential to redefine the landscape of celebrity endorsement and the creator economy in India. According to industry estimates quoted in the report, the celebrity endorsement market in India is estimated to be around Rs 3,000 crore whereas the influencer marketing industry is estimated to be around Rs 3,500 crore. Initial players in the field of AI cloning are cricketer Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill. 

AI Cloning Creates New Revenue Stream

With AI cloning, brands can create images and videos of digital versions of celebrities in various settings, places, and scenarios without having to do traditional shoots. This can help to minimize production limitations and help brands build their own campaigns.

Celebrities can provide themselves with an extra stream of revenue by licensing their digital image for advertising campaigns, branded entertainment and other digital content. It may also be beneficial for emerging creators, as they can license or lease their identity along with their current brand partnership, platform monetisation and sales commission streams.

Studio Blo’s FAIMOUS platform is designed to help celebrities create, control and license their AI clones. Meanwhile, Sparkonomy is developing the Open Creator Graph (OCG), an infrastructure intended to help creators establish their digital identities and specify how AI systems can use their content and likeness.

Also Read: AI-assisted Microdrama Content May Reach 80% Share in 18 Months

Consent and Digital Identity Concerns

However, apart from the commercial applications, there are concerns related to unauthorised replication, ownership and consent in relation to the AI cloning of digital identities. With the rise of AI generating faces and voices with ease, safeguarding an artist's or celebrity's voice and image is becoming more important than ever.

Members of the industry think that controlled identity licensing may be a crucial component of the future of the creator economy. AI clones can help public figures to increase their commercial footprint without the need to be physically involved in all campaigns, with proper consent and security measures in place.

As AI content becomes more mainstream, the ability to securely license and manage digital identities could therefore emerge as a significant new business model for India’s entertainment and creator ecosystem.