Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has shared his views on the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence in cinema, expressing doubts over how personality rights can realistically be implemented and enforced.
Speaking in a recent interaction with Bollywood Hungama, Varma acknowledged why actors might feel threatened by AI tools capable of replicating faces and voices. However, he questioned whether existing legal frameworks are equipped to deal with the complexity of such cases. “An actor can go to court and try to get so-called personality rights,” he said, “but the implementation and enforcing of that is where the grey area begins.”
The “Grey Area” Around Lookalikes and Voice Clones
Varma pointed out the ambiguity surrounding resemblance. “If I am an actor, I can say my face cannot be used. But can I say someone who looks like me cannot be used? Do I have that right?” he asked, highlighting the legal uncertainty when an AI-generated face or voice merely resembles a public figure without directly copying them.
Referring to global debates around AI voice replication, he cited the example of Scarlett Johansson, who reportedly declined permission for her voice to be used for an AI-based audio project. According to Varma, even if a voice sounds similar, proving ownership becomes legally complicated if the original voice recording was not used.
“The court can say, ‘Is it your voice? Did you say those words?’ If the answer is no, then how do you proceed?” he said, adding that current laws may not adequately address such distinctions.
Jurisdiction and Scale
Beyond legal definitions, Varma also raised concerns about enforcement in a borderless digital ecosystem. AI-generated content, he noted, can originate from anywhere in the world, often outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts.
“If a tool is owned by a company in another country, who are you going to sue? The prompter? The platform? The tool owner?” he asked. With thousands of AI tools and users globally, tracking the original source of misuse would be a complex and resource-intensive process.
He further observed that by the time an actor becomes aware of misuse, the content may already have circulated widely online. Identifying and pursuing the original creator would require significant time and investigation.
Court Orders vs Practical Reality
Varma also referred to Indian actors who have sought protection over distinctive traits or catchphrases, questioning whether such protections can stand the test of rapid AI replication across platforms like TikTok and other social media.
“You can get a court order,” he said, “but how are you going to enforce it? Who are you putting a case on?”
Drawing a parallel with the prolonged investigations in high-profile cases such as the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, Varma argued that even major criminal probes can take years to reach clarity. In comparison, pursuing anonymous or globally dispersed AI misuse would be even more complicated.
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