Every major technological shift has forced us to rethink ownership. In the music industry, digital distribution transformed how songs are shared and monetized. In photography, the internet made it easy for images to be copied and reused. Each time, creators had to adapt or risk losing control over the value they created.
Now, generative AI is pushing us into new territory. It no longer needs our works to generate something new. It can replicate us. Our voices, faces, gestures, and even mannerisms can be captured, recreated, and distributed without our involvement. It is already happening.
There is no system to govern the use of human likeness at scale. There is no universal consent mechanism, no marketplace to assign value, and no way to ensure creators are compensated. That gap is what we are trying to close.
What is Likeness?
Likeness is more than a photo or a recording. It is the combination of everything that makes you recognizable: your voice, your face, your expressions, the way you move, the way you communicate. It is how the world identifies you, even when you are not present. Unlike other creative works, likeness is singular. You cannot make another version of yourself.
Once captured, likeness can be reproduced, manipulated, and distributed. That digital copy can have economic value, influence how people perceive you, and be used in ways that may not align with your intentions. Likeness is unique, personal, and inherently tied to who you are.
This is not simply a matter of copyright or intellectual property. It is a new category of ownership. Likeness is the ultimate digital asset, and the critical question is not whether it can be copied, but who decides how it is used and who benefits from it.
Existing Tools
The tools to manage this do not exist yet. Creators, brands, and platforms all want solutions. Creators want to retain control and earn revenue. Platforms want to innovate without legal risk. Brands want to use recognizable voices and faces with confidence. But today, there is no infrastructure to support that.
Without clear rules, platforms hesitate, brands hold back, and creators are left exposed with no way to capture value.
Our Vision
Imagine a world where likeness works like money. You set the rules. You approve transactions. You collect the rewards. Unauthorized uses are automatically blocked. A musician could license their voice for a meditation app and earn royalties while sleeping. An actor could approve a digital version of themselves in a game and get paid every time the game is sold. A spokesperson could allow commercial endorsements while preventing political or misleading uses. Estates could manage legacies digitally, earning revenue while protecting reputation.
This is not science fiction. It is infrastructure. Just as Content ID made YouTube sustainable and Stripe made payments effortless, we need a system that makes human likeness programmable, monetizable, and protected by design.
Building the Foundation
At License AI, we are building that system. A secure vault to register and manage identity. An API that allows platforms to request permission in real time. A payment rail that ensures royalties flow whenever a likeness is used. One platform that makes it simple for creators, platforms, and brands to do the right thing.
We are documenting every step of this journey. The choices we make, the challenges we face, and the world we are trying to build. Identity is the rarest asset in a world of infinite creation. Together, we can make sure it belongs to the people who live it.
License AI. Your likeness in AI. From voice and video to full digital twins. Approve every request, block misuse, and earn.
