AI likeness agreement clauses

An AI likeness agreement should make the permitted use understandable before signing and checkable after an output ships. A broad promise of AI rights is not an operational scope.

The clause map

SectionQuestion it must answer
Parties and authorityWho is granting permission, who receives it, and can each signer bind the named party?
Identity elementsDoes the grant cover face, voice, name, body, performance or another defined element?
Intended useWhich brand, campaign, product, script, claims and creative treatment are permitted?
Asset versionWhich captured source, face pack or voice model is covered?
Generation and editsWho may generate, which tools or controlled route apply, and which changes need approval?
DistributionWhich channels, media, territory, languages and formats are authorized?
TermWhen may new generation occur, when may outputs run, and what happens at expiry?
Transfer and accessCan the buyer sublicense, transfer, export or share the identity asset, and with whom?
ApprovalsWhich scripts, outputs, adaptations or materially different uses return to talent?
PaymentWhat is paid, when is it secured, and how are additional uses handled?
EvidenceWhich document hash, asset identifier, generation record and output receipt survive?
Revocation and breachHow does future generation stop, how is notice recorded, and how are existing outputs treated?

Specific beats broad

For work covered by its agreements, SAG-AFTRA requires clear and conspicuous consent and a reasonably specific description of the intended use. Its commercials guidance also says a use outside the original description requires additional consent. Those rules do not govern every person or project, but they show why a usable scope must be more precise than “all AI uses.”

Source: SAG-AFTRA, A.I. and Commercials contract bulletin.

Licence, access and provenance are separate

A licence records permission. Asset custody controls who can reach the face or voice material. A receipt and Content Credential help connect a specific output to the authorized workflow. One layer does not silently replace the other two.

A review sequence

  1. Read the intended use without relying on a sales summary.
  2. Compare the requested production plan with every scope boundary.
  3. Confirm that the asset and generation route match the agreement.
  4. Resolve blanks, conflicts and implied rights before signing.
  5. Keep the signed version and its hash with the output evidence.

Use the 24-point checklistSee the evidence chain

This clause map is practical information, not a contract template or legal advice. Applicable law, collective bargaining agreements and counsel’s review take priority.

Common questions

What clauses should an AI likeness agreement include?

At minimum, identify the parties, identity elements, intended use, asset version, generation and edit rules, distribution, term, transfer limits, approvals, payment, evidence and revocation treatment.

Can an agreement authorize every future AI use?

A broad clause may fail to provide the operational clarity a person and buyer need. SocialGravity licences are scoped to the agreed campaign, use and term.

Is access to a voice model the same as permission to use it?

No. Technical access is an asset-custody fact. Permission is recorded in the signed licence and remains limited by its scope.

Who should review materially different uses?

The agreement should state which changes need fresh approval. A change outside SocialGravity’s signed scope does not proceed without a new permission record.