HeyGen, a new platform for creating lifelike AI videos, has raised $5.6 million in growth capital. Joshua Xu and Wayne Liang, co-founders of SilverLine Technologies, told FORBES. The Seattle-based company’s mission is to democratize video creation for businesses by leveraging its AI clone tech. HeyGen’s tech has sparked a new controversy over the ethics of AI-deepfaked digital replicas.
HeyGen intends to streamline video production. According to the company’s founders, the biggest costs of creating video come from the hardware involved in shooting the footage.
"When you look at a video, people look at two things," - Joshua Xu, HeyGen co-founder
"One is editing, the other one is a camera. Editing is not expensive because it’s kind of a standard process, but camera is super expensive.” - Joshua Xu, HeyGen co-founder
HeyGen provides AI clone technology that aims to eliminate these expenses. The company’s technology implicates some deep issues around ownership and the possibility of weaponization. An interesting paper published in Tandfonline describes these future-thinking agents as “human digital thought clones.” It makes us consider the ethics of producing AI clones capable of anticipating and influencing our decisions.
The ethical implications of HeyGen’s technology are complex. So did a Medium writer, who alleged that the company had lost its soul. One Reddit user predicted what HeyGen’s tech might be able to do in a few years.
The ethical questions do not stop there. One of the other contributors really zeroed in on the ownership issue as it relates specifically to AI-generated clones.
"It prompted a question: who owns my AI-generated clone?" - MAXX Potential contributor
HeyGen’s AI-powered technology offers breakthrough performance when it comes to video creation. It opens up important discussion around the ethical implications of AI-generated content and identity in our increasingly digital society.
