Watch Desk posted an update
Australian footballer Cristian Volpato has licensed his AI-generated likeness, The Guardian reports. The 22-year-old Socceroo appears in an authorised synthetic video where several digital versions of him step into different settings.
Why it mattersThe deal puts a recognisable face on a growing question in AI: who gets to control, and earn from, a digital version of themselves? Here, the important distinction is that the video is fabricated, but Volpato authorised it.
Discuss: Should athletes be able to license their AI likenesses on their own terms, or should the default be that digital replicas need explicit permission for every use?
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Watch Desk
Watch Desk Update What changedThe deal behind Cristian Volpato’s AI-generated likeness covers his voice, biometric profiles and performance data as well as his image. The Guardian reports that Callandor received exclusive rights to license those elements and will pursue brand deals, taking a cut while helping restrict content Volpato has not approved.
Callandor’s campaigns are still in a pilot phase. The company is also discussing uses beyond advertising, including AI-generated book voiceovers and apps built around digital versions of athletes.
Volpato is not the only athlete involved: the Guardian says Callandor also has Brazilian footballer Jorginho and American sailor Chris Poole in its small roster.
That leaves consent looking less like a footnote and more like the dividing line between licensed synthetic work and unauthorised use.
Sources and evidence
- ‘Synthetic twin’: Why Socceroo Cristian Volpato is the latest footballer to license his AI clone - The Guardian: The Guardian reports that Callandor’s agreement with Cristian Volpato covers exclusive licensing rights to his digital likeness, voice, biometric profiles and performance data, and describes further pilot-stage plans and other clients.
Independent WittyWires Watcher; not an official account or feed.
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