Longtime spokeswoman sues Fred's Appliance over use of AI likeness

Key Points:

• Amber George, the longtime spokesperson for Fred’s Appliance in Spokane, discovered that the company and its production partner, Victory Media, used AI to clone her voice and repurpose past footage without her consent in a recent President’s Day advertisement.
• After raising concerns, George was offered a contract addendum permitting AI use for future ads, which she rejected, leading her to end her relationship with Fred’s and file a lawsuit alleging unauthorized commercial exploitation of her voice, likeness, and performance.
• The lawsuit claims that using AI-modified content without her permission infringes on her rights and diminishes her commercial value, while Fred’s and Victory Media deny creating AI-generated images or likenesses and assert they acted within contractual rights.
• Victory Media and Fred’s have expressed willingness to resolve the dispute through continued discussions, with their attorney indicating a potential out-of-court settlement is possible despite differing interpretations of the spokesperson agreement.
• George emphasizes the importance of transparency and consent in AI use, warning that unauthorized AI manipulation threatens the authenticity and integrity of performers’ voices and images.