Dan Neely on Protecting and Monetizing Creativity in the AI Era

In this episode of AI Leadership Lab, host Ryan Heath sits down with Dan Neely, CEO and co-founder of Vermillio, an AI platform for protecting and monetizing intellectual property. Recorded live from Web Summit in Lisbon, this conversation tackles the critical challenge facing every creator in the AI age: how to protect your likeness and work and capitalize on new monetization opportunities. From explaining the concept of likeness rights to discussing neural fingerprinting technology, Dan offers practical insights for any creator, IP owner (or organization that needs to use them) on how to navigate the intersection of AI, intellectual property, and co-creation.Key TakeawaysLikeness is the New Frontier of IP ProtectionMost creators focus on protecting their output (music, films, scripts etc) but overlook their likeness: their image, voice, and name. In an AI world where anyone can prompt "create a song in the style of [creator name]," likeness becomes a critical asset requiring protection. This isn't just for famous creators; it matters for every person whose likeness can be synthetically recreated.Protection gives options for MonetizationOnce you've protected your likeness, you gain complete control over whether and how to monetize it. You can choose never to allow its use, or you can participate in the economics of AI-generated content. The key insight is seeing that this can deliver passive income — even at a tiny royalty rate — when you consider there are across trillions of AI transactions. The Industry Needs Third-Party InfrastructureTraditional fingerprinting and watermarking don't work in today's AI world. Neural fingerprinting technology offers an alternative, especially when it can detect what percentage of someone's IP exists in AI outputs, from 1% to 100%. Studios, Platforms, and Creators Face Unclear ResponsibilityThe industry is still debating who bears responsibility for protecting talent: Is it studios who hire actors, platforms that enable content creation, or individual creators themselves? Likeness rights have traditionally only been negotiated for specific projects (like marketing a movie), creating complexity as AI enables infinite use cases. The market is currently in a "land grab" phase similar to early internet advertising.Co-Creation Will Democratize Creative ExpressionThe most exciting development is enabling fans to co-create with the content and creators they love—at scale and with proper licensing. This democratizes creativity, allowing people who couldn't previously draw or make music to create in amazing ways, while ensuring creators participate in the economic value generated by their likeness and work.Chapter Timestamps[00:00] First steps for protecting creative work and likeness[02:33] Deep fakes and AI disruption with Sora[04:42] Monetizing creative work beyond traditional models[07:40] The maturity curve for understanding likeness rights[10:03] Trace ID system and neural fingerprinting technology[12:42] Advice for those overwhelmed by AI choices[15:18] What's exciting about the future of AI co-creationAbout the GuestDan Neely is the CEO and co-founder of Vermillio, a leading rights management platform that protects creators' work and likeness. His company has developed neural fingerprinting technology that can detect IP ingredients in AI-generated outputs in any given creation.He has worked directly with major artists like David Gilmour of Pink Floyd to allow fans to engage with their favorite creators in licensed, economically fair ways. Connect with Dan Neely & Vermilliohttps://time.com/7012738/dan-neely/https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielneely/About AI Leadership LabAI Leadership Lab interviews C-suite leaders about their AI journeys, covering what's working, where they're getting stuck, how they pivot, and the lessons they take from the losses.Host: Ryan HeathWebsite: RyanHeathConsulting.com

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