A digital replica is a realistic digital depiction or imitation of a real person, commonly through their face, voice or both. The term describes the representation, not whether its use was authorized.
A digital replica can be authorized or unauthorized. That is why “AI-generated” and “licensed” are not synonyms. The first describes how content was made. The second describes whether a rights holder granted permission for the particular use.
The U.S. Copyright Office uses digital replicas as an umbrella for digitally created or manipulated depictions that realistically but falsely depict an individual. Its report also describes gaps and variation in current legal protection. The exact legal position depends on jurisdiction and facts, so this glossary is not legal advice.
Source: U.S. Copyright Office, Copyright and Artificial Intelligence.
For commercial use, the practical evidence chain is more specific than the label “digital replica.” It should identify the real person, the exact asset or model version, the signed terms, the permitted campaign and each resulting output. A general synthetic-media disclosure cannot answer all of those questions.
See AI likeness licensing for the permission layer and content provenance for the evidence layer.
No. A digital replica may be created with the person’s permission. Authorization and evidence are the decisive questions.
No. It may disclose that media is synthetic, but it does not by itself prove who agreed, what use was permitted or whether the licence is still active.
Yes. A licence can grant limited permission for a named party, campaign, format, territory and duration.