Lainey Wilson Speaks Before Congress About the Dangers of AI [Watch]

Ahead of the 2024 Grammy Awards, Lainey Wilson made a stop in downtown Los Angeles, Calif. to testify before Congress during a House Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet on Friday (Feb. 2).

Wilson was there to speak about the dangers of Artificial Intelligence (AI), as an entertainer who has experience with falling victim to an AI-based scam. Wilson was previously the target of a falsified campaign from summer 2023, which appeared to feature her likeness in ads for weight loss gummies.

At the time, the singer was quick to clear up the confusion, telling fans that she had no connection to the commercials, and not to spend their money on the scam. But during Friday's testimony, Wilson reflected more deeply on the implications of how falsifying entertainers' likenesses can hurt both fans and the entertainers themselves.

"I do not have to tell you how much of a gut punch it is to have your name, your likeness or your voice ripped from you and used in ways that you could never imagine or allow," she said in a clip of the testimony broadcast by local ABC affiliate ABC7.

"It is wrong, plain and simple," Wilson continued.

According to Fox News, Wilson expressed excitement about the creative and helpful possibilities that AI may offer; however, she also wanted to warn against its dangers, saying she was "nervous" about the possibility that it could strip people of their "personal rights."

"It is a personal violation that threatens a person's dignity and can put at risk everything they have worked so hard to accomplish," she went on to say. "An artists' voice and likeness are their property and should not take a backseat to the economic interest of companies that have not invested in or partnered with the artist."

Wilson is the second country artist to testify before Congress in recent weeks; last month, Jelly Roll addressed lawmakers about his experience with addiction and the fentanyl crisis in the U.S. Jelly and Wilson will both be at the Grammy Awards during the show on Sunday night: Their duet, "Save Me," is nominated for Best CountrY Duo/Group Performance.