Martina McBride has been very vocal about her thoughts surrounding AI and deepfakes in music and other creative spaces. As we’ve seen online, there are many AI headlines surrounding our favorite country stars like Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Eric Church, and more. And while those headlines share inaccurate information about tours or appearances, they do scratch the surface of how AI can be harmful to an artist. These headlines also don’t even begin to scratch the surface of voice and image manipulation that can be genuinely detrimental to an artist’s name and image. In May, McBride went to Capitol Hill to speak out in support of the NO FAKES Act. She delivered a very compelling and strong argument that there needs to be legislation to protect artists in the AI age. @apnewsCountry singer Martina McBride testified before the Senate committee this week about the No Fakes Act. This is a bipartisan legislative proposal aimed at protecting individuals from unauthorized AI-generated replicas of their voice and likeness. ♬ original sound – The Associated Press If passed, the act would create a federal protection against unauthorized deepfakes of one’s name, image, likeness, or voice for the first time. Given that deepfakes have been an enormous topic of conversation in the creative space, the NO FAKES Act is widely championed by the music and film industries and other creative groups. Before McBride’s testimony, Billboard reported that 393 artists had signed the NO FAKES Act, including Randy Travis, Cardi B, the Dave Matthews Band, and more. Of course, we have seen artists like Randy Travis use AI for good, bringing his voice back to our speakers with new music, and that is a perfect example of how AI can be used for good. However, at this time, it feels like AI is causing more problems than successes. Recently, McBride spoke in support of the NO FAKES ACT at the CNBC AI Summit in Nashville. During her testimony, she spoke about how deepfakes are a threat to artists and their fans. During McBride’s opening statements, she again said she’s spent much of her career building a fanbase among those who support similar causes, and addressed how many fans connect with artists in this way. “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.” McBride then points out that deepfakes can be extremely dangerous to a young artist’s career, and that a deepfake created to project beliefs or statements that do not reflect that artist’s personal mission statement can lead them to become a victim of cancel culture and possibly end their career. “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. 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.”  It is scary to think that we live in a time where someone could create a meme or pull a prank using these deepfakes and AI tools, which could tank everything that you have going for you. McBride brought up the recent issue many artists are facing: people scamming them using AI. Brooks & Dunn recently issued a statement addressing this issue, and McBride has personal experience with someone trying to scam a fan using her name and likeness. AI can be used for good, but it can also be very damaging, and we do need legislation to protect creators and more from this. We’ve opened Pandora’s box with AI, and now the question is: can it be controlled once it’s so easily accessible? Check out the conversation while you’re here: The post “Career Could Be Over Before It Even Begins” – Martina McBride On How AI & Deepfakes Can Damage A Young Artist’s Career first appeared on Whiskey Riff.