Cate Blanchett, Steven Soderbergh, and Nikki Hexum have unveiled the Human Consent Registry, a groundbreaking free public utility designed to give individuals control over how artificial intelligence systems use their name, image, and likeness. The initiative, presented before the European Parliament, seeks to address the growing challenge of AI models scraping personal data without authorization. Blanchett, who openly admits she is not a technology expert, recognized the urgency of the problem. “I know next to nothing about technology,” she told Variety in a recent interview. “But I know a problem or a challenge when I see one.”
The registry is a product of RSL Media, a nonprofit co-founded by Blanchett that launched last month. Its acronym stands for “really simple licensing,” and it positions itself as an open standard for consent. The tool allows users to create a time-coded “identity” record that includes their name, profession, a brief description, and verification links. Users then choose from three options: red (AI use prohibited), yellow (permitted with terms), or green (permitted). The system generates machine-readable code that AI models can interpret when scraping the internet, effectively embedding the user’s consent preferences into the digital landscape.
Blanchett, alongside Bulgarian MEP Eva Maydell, presented the registry to the European Parliament, stressing the need for a simple, equitable solution. “What I loved about what RSL Media were doing … they were offering a really simple not-to-profit open standard, a solution, that people can go in when they’re negotiating with whoever,” Blanchett said. The registry has garnered support from prominent figures such as Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, and Javier Bardem, as well as Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which has joined as a partner.
Addressing the AI Consent Gap
The rapid advancement of generative AI has outpaced legal frameworks, leaving individuals vulnerable to unauthorized use of their identities. Deepfakes, voice cloning, and AI-generated avatars have become increasingly sophisticated, raising concerns about fraud, defamation, and loss of control. While the European Union passed the Artificial Intelligence Act in 2023, and the United States has introduced bills like the NO FAKES Act, these measures often lack practical, accessible mechanisms for individuals to declare their consent. Many commercial services that offer identity protection charge tens of thousands of dollars, creating a tiered system where only the wealthy can safeguard their likenesses.
This disparity has driven celebrities like Taylor Swift and Matthew McConaughey to file for legal trademarks on their voices and images. But such steps remain out of reach for most people. The Human Consent Registry aims to democratize protection, making it free for everyone. “If there’s going to be a solution, it’s got to be built on this kind of framework, otherwise you’re going to create a tiered system in which some people have access to these rights and protections, and the people that can’t pay don’t,” Soderbergh said in an interview. “That is exactly what we don’t want, and so this to me is a really elegant solve. It’s simple to use and simple to understand.”
The Genesis of RSL Media
The registry’s origins trace back to Nikki Hexum’s vision for an automation-forward record label that would “remove middlemen” and empower artists. However, she soon found herself overwhelmed by the task of issuing takedown notices for unauthorized uses of her artists’ work. This experience highlighted a fundamental gap in the internet’s architecture: a missing consent layer. “When the internet was built, nobody was sitting there thinking about, ‘Oh, how are we going to decide who owns what?'” said Hexum, who views identity protection as a human right. “It was a decentralized online area where you could go and share with anybody, so there was a missing consent layer to the internet, and I don’t think it became obvious that it was needed until AI.”
Hexum’s frustration led to the creation of RSL Media and the consent registry. The tool is now open to the general public in the United States and the European Union. Beyond individuals, the organization plans to expand the registry to encompass copyright-protected works such as books, music, and films. This would allow creators to manage how their entire portfolios are used by AI systems.
Industry Support and Dual Perspectives
The initiative has attracted support from across the entertainment industry, bridging a divide between skeptics and enthusiasts of AI. Blanchett has previously expressed fears that AI could be “incredibly destructive” to the arts, while Soderbergh has publicly utilized generative AI in projects like John Lennon: The Last Interview and an upcoming film about the Spanish-American War. Despite their differing stances, both agree that consent is paramount. “It’s not whether AI should or shouldn’t exist,” Hexum said. “It’s whether people have the ability to consent to being a part of that. Technology is here, it’s not going away, and now it’s just that core thing: ‘Am I OK with it? If I am, cool. If I’m not, I need a way, a practical way to say I don’t want to be involved.'”
Blanchett elaborated on the importance of thoughtful engagement with AI. “That pause is really important. That moment for breath and thought is a really important part of the creative process. When humans are forced to career along a path creatively trying to be in the slipstream of technology, then I think it’s destructive and counterproductive,” she said. Soderbergh added a pragmatic criterion for AI adoption: “Is it better? Are you using this technology in a way that is allowing you to do something that you literally couldn’t do otherwise? … Tell me why it’s better to have her than an actor. I’m listening. I just don’t know.”
Technical Mechanism and Future Expansion
From a technical standpoint, the registry generates a consent record that is stored and updated via a simple interface. Users provide a name, profession, and description, along with links to online profiles or official websites for verification. The system then assigns a traffic-light status—red, yellow, or green—which is encoded as metadata readable by AI crawlers. This allows large language models and other scraping systems to automatically respect the user’s preferences, potentially eliminating the need for individual lawsuits or takedown requests.
RSL Media has already initiated discussions with major AI companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, the creators of ChatGPT and Claude. The organization has also engaged with SAG-AFTRA and talent agencies to facilitate bulk registrations for performers. As the registry gains traction, it aims to become a universal standard, one that future AI regulations can reference. “The challenge is [AI models] just keep splintering and breeding at such a rate, so I think we all feel a bit bamboozled by which part to tackle first,” Blanchett noted.
Broader Implications for Society
The Human Consent Registry arrives at a critical juncture. AI-generated content has become indistinguishable from human-created material, raising questions about authenticity, ownership, and trust. While lawmakers scramble to create frameworks, the registry offers an immediate, practical solution that puts agency back in the hands of individuals. Its free, open-source nature ensures that even the least tech-savvy can participate. “Preschools and universities can use it. It’s free,” Blanchett stressed, urging widespread adoption.
Yet, the road ahead is not without obstacles. The registry’s effectiveness depends on AI companies voluntarily respecting the consent codes. While RSL Media has had positive initial conversations with OpenAI and Anthropic, no binding agreements are in place. Moreover, the global nature of the internet means that enforcement may vary across jurisdictions. Nonetheless, the initiative represents a significant step toward establishing a baseline of digital consent. As Blanchett put it: “This standard is not going to revolutionize our relationship overnight. The more people adopt it, the more chance it has of making a real impact. But we do have to start somewhere, because thoughtlessness is the enemy of creativity.”
Ultimately, the Human Consent Registry embodies a rare convergence of Hollywood star power, technological pragmatism, and civil rights advocacy. It acknowledges that AI is here to stay but insists that human autonomy must not be sacrificed. By providing a simple, free mechanism for consent, Blanchett, Soderbergh, and Hexum are laying the groundwork for a more equitable digital future—one where every individual, not just the wealthy, can decide how their identity is used by the machines we have built.
Source:MSN News