How these celebrities protect their likeness from AI

The saying “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” rings no truer in the age of AI.

Amid the AI boom, more celebrities are filing trademark applications to protect their likenesses, voices and iconic phrases. This technology has introduced new approaches to automation and workflow, but it has also ushered in a new era of deepfakes and non-consensual content.

AI-generated content can spread misinformation by depicting real people doing, saying, or supporting something without their knowledge. That includes politicians, religious figures, law enforcement, celebrities, and ordinary people.

Although the content is fabricated, it may have real-world implications. Grok, a chatbot created by Elon Musk’s xAI and now part of SpaceX, drew widespread criticism in January for allowing users to create deepfake sexual images of real people, including minors. The company is facing legal action over this.

Similarly, OpenAI faced backlash last year after releasing Sora 2, a video generation platform. At the time, OpenAI allowed users to create videos featuring trademarked characters without the copyright holder’s consent.

The app has gotten him into trouble with entertainment studios and actors like Bryan Cranston, who flagged an unauthorized video featuring Breaking Bad’s Walter White. In response to industry backlash, OpenAI introduced an opt-in method for copyright holders before shutting down the platform permanently in April.

Celebrities like Sarah Silverman have also expressed concern about startups stealing content to train large-scale language models. Silverman and a group of plaintiffs sued OpenAI for copyright infringement in 2023. A federal judge narrowed the scope of the lawsuit in February 2024, but the lawsuit continues.

As a result, some celebrities are seeking legal protection as AI continues to expand rapidly.

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey is a vocal advocate of actors trying to protect themselves from AI. The Wall Street Journal reported that as of February, it had secured eight trademarks related to his likeness, including his iconic “Dazed and Confused” quote, “Okay, okay, okay.”

In an interview with Timothée Chalamet, McConaughey said being passive won’t work.

“It’s not good enough — it may be good enough for you — but it’s not enough to just stand by and make a moral appeal saying, ‘No, this is wrong!'” McConaughey told CNN and Variety in a town hall. “It won’t last long. There’s too much money to be made and too much productivity. It’s here.”

He added that the AI revolution will likely continue despite the backlash from critics.

“So when it comes, not when it comes, no one can steal you,” McConaughey said. “They’re going to have to come to you and say, ‘Can I do it?'” Or they’re going to be in violation. And you have the chance to be your own agent and say: “Yes, for this amount” or “No.” ”

taylor swift

Taylor Swift filed for three trademarks in April through her company, TAS Rights Management. The two trademarks are the spoken words “Hey, I’m Taylor Swift” and “Hey, I’m Taylor.”

The third image is of Swift taken during the Elas tour. Specifically, “A photo of Taylor Swift holding a pink guitar, wearing a black strap, and wearing a multicolored iridescent bodysuit and silver boots. She stands on a pink stage in front of a multicolored microphone against a backdrop of purple lights.”

Swift has been the victim of deepfakes using her likeness, some of which drew the ire of Swift, politicians and technology leaders like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. In 2024, President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image of Swift with his supporters ahead of that year’s presidential election. Swift slammed the image in an Instagram post.

“I recently learned that ‘I’ AI was posted on his site falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s candidacy for president. It really awakened my fear of AI and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” she wrote.

jimmy kimmel

Jimmy Kimmel filed three trademark applications related to his likeness in April. A trademark is associated with a specific word or phrase.

“Hello, I’m Jimmy. I’m the host of the show…Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for coming. Thank you for watching at home. Thank you for joining us here,” the trademark reads. “The first few words spoken are of a higher pitch than the rest of the words, gradually moving to a lower pitch.”

The other two were related to images of Kimmel from his time on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

lionel richie

Lionel Richie, through Richlion Holdings LLC, filed four trademark applications in early June to protect his voice and some phrases. These applications are for Ritchie’s voice recordings: “Hello, Is It Me You’re Looking For?”, “All Night Long”, “Easy Like Sunday Morning”, and “Say You Say Me”.

jeremy clarkson

Jeremy Clarkson is a British television presenter known for “Top Gear” and “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” filed a trademark application through the UK Intellectual Property Office in November 2025 and was officially registered in January.

Two of the trademark applications are for images of his face, and another is for the words “Jeremy Clarkson.”

Clarkson has taken a strong stance against AI deepfakes and AI-generated content. In March 2024, he criticized scammers who used his likeness to promote cryptocurrencies on social media.

In January, Clarkson criticized AI-generated images in an op-ed for British newspaper The Sun. He said people had made false reports about his family and friends at his farm in the Cotswolds.

“This week on Facebook, I heard exclusively from my farm that Gerald passed away, Caleb had another baby, Lisa left me, and I broke my leg,” Clarkson wrote, referring to his wife and friends. “Every story was accompanied by completely realistic photographs, and they were all complete nonsense.”

She added: “Do I care? Yes. The reason is that Gerald isn’t used to being in public and he’s worried about his kids seeing stuff like this online. So whoever’s doing it, pack it.”

backstreet boys

The Backstreet Boys have made an iconic pop comeback in recent years, keeping their brand intact in the process. The company filed two trademark applications on June 24 through BSB Entertainment, Inc.

One is for spoken words: “HI, WE’RE THE BACKSTREET BOYS.” Another photo shows the Backstreet Boys wearing white outfits and posing in a “futuristic hallway setting.”

Although the boy band hasn’t talked about AI as a group, Nick Carter said in a 2025 interview with Billboard Brazil that AI requires checks and balances.

“We embrace advances in technology and AI as long as there is no abuse,” Carter said. “You have to care about the melody, the music, and the intention behind it. We’ve released more than 10 albums in our career. Each album contains our voices, blood, sweat, tears, and emotions. You can’t replace that.”

In a separate interview with Comics Beat in 2025, Carter said he used AI to create the official lyric video for his song “Hey Kid,” as well as a series of comic book-themed music videos.