Martina McBride Speaks Up About How AI and Deepfakes Can Be Damaging to a Young Artist’s Career
Martina McBride isn’t afraid to crank up the volume, not just on stage, but when it comes to speaking out about important issues. Recently, she turned her fierce advocacy toward…
Martina McBride isn’t afraid to crank up the volume, not just on stage, but when it comes to speaking out about important issues. Recently, she turned her fierce advocacy toward a threat that’s affecting not only the music industry: the rise of artificial intelligence and deepfakes. Her message? This tool might be a leap in technology, but it’s got a serious downside, and younger and newer artists are especially at risk.
NO FAKES Act
McBride has been supporting the passing of the NO FAKES Act. Earlier this year, she went to speak on Capitol Hill about the need to have legislation to protect artists. The act would protect the name, image, likeness, and voice of an individual against unauthorized use. Protecting their image and especially their voice is important for those in the music industry, as well as those in the creative and entertainment sector.
Aside from McBride, other artists, even those from different genres, had already signed the NO FAKES Act including Cardi B, the Dave Matthews Band, and more.
Martina McBride: “Career Could Be Over Before It Even Begins”
During the CNBC AI Summit in Nashville, McBride once again reiterated the damage deepfakes can inflict on artists and their fans. She said in her opening statement, “The thought that my legacy, what I stand for, everything that I stand for as an artist and as a human being, could be manipulated to be the opposite… could be belittling domestic violence, or the possibilities are endless. And then that becomes, at some point, you can’t really discern between what I say and what somebody manipulates for me to say. You know, I always think, like, in 100 years, will we be able to tell which is which? So that’s one thing that’s really troubling to me.”
She added that younger artists are far more at risk: “And when you think about young artists, new artists that are just starting out, you know, if like I said, that’s so important what you stand for and what you will sing about, and what you will say and what you will do and what you won’t do, that’s how your fans find you. They find what you stand for.”
She continued, “And so young artists sometimes I feel like it’s really hard for them because they are establishing that, you know, and if something comes along and derails that from the very beginning, their career could be over before it even begins.”
One recent instance of deepfakes and AI affecting country music artists was the viral photo showing Reba McEntire allegedly at Dolly Parton’s deathbed. The image spread online after reports that Parton had canceled some performances and appearances due to health issues. The two country icons were also rumored to be touring together next year, all because of an AI-generated photo announcing a fake tour.
