New York’s governor signed laws mandating disclosure when AI-generated performers are used in ads and requiring consent from heirs or executors to use a deceased person’s name, image, or likeness for commercial purposes.

Experts foresee broader effects, such as faster development of digital watermarking, provenance tracking, AI ethics consulting, and a possible shift by some brands toward traditional human-led campaigns to avoid disclosures.

SAG-AFTRA leaders emphasize protecting against digital replicas and synthetic figures, underscoring the need for credible, trusted representations in media.

One measure bars AI-generated synthetic performers from being used in advertising without clear viewers’ disclosure, while another sets consent standards for deceased likenesses used commercially.

Reactions from industry and academia are mixed, praising transparency yet voicing concerns about how practically these rules can be implemented and their potential impact on creativity.

Across outlets from CNBC to Reuters, NYT, WSJ, and tech press, the laws have sparked a broad national discussion about AI, copyright, and rights management.

The bills fit into a larger national debate over AI regulation, signaling how state actions may interact with federal policy and industry practices.

Ongoing political actions and talks around AI regulation, including efforts to block state AI laws and anticipation of a federal executive order, frame the policy environment.

The move comes amid a broader industry shift, with high-profile deals like Disney’s licensing with OpenAI to bring AI-generated characters into video creation.

Entertainment-industry representatives, including SAG, attended the signing, highlighting its ties to ongoing AI policy debates in Hollywood.

Observers see implications for creators, advertisers, rights holders, and AI developers, potentially affecting licensing models, consent frameworks, and transparency standards.

The announcements were made in collaboration with SAG-AFTRA, signaling industry support and concern about risks of unchecked AI use in advertising and media.