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Scott Jacqmein, an actor from Dallas, sold his likeness to TikTok for $750 and a free trip to the Bay Area. His digital twin now appears in countless ads on the platform, while Jacqmein himself struggles to secure traditional roles. Friends and acquaintances have noticed his AI avatar pitching bizarre products, leaving him with regrets. Yet his concerns seem less about ethics and more about economics.
The Times reporter Sapna Maheshwari highlights the lack of royalties and legal protections for individuals like Jacqmein. She also raises moral questions, citing cases where digital avatars promoted objectionable content or delivered offensive messages. For instance, Jacqmein’s AI double once advertised a “male performance supplement,” while another incident involved TikTok employees using AI to recite passages from Hitler’s “Mein Kampf.” The tool was later removed after public outcry.
These incidents underscore a broader issue: the line between imitation and deception. Digital impostors have mimicked public figures, including religious leaders, raising concerns about authenticity. Even if Jacqmein were compensated fairly, the act of selling his likeness commodifies identity itself. His expressions, tone, and mannerisms become intellectual property, stripped of their human essence.
The article argues that audiences instinctively recoil at AI replicas, sensing their hollowness. A digital twin cannot replicate the moral or emotional depth of a real person. This theme echoes philosophical and literary works, such as “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” where the pursuit of perfection leads to spiritual decay.
While some advocate for regulation, the author suggests a simpler solution: refusal. Actors should avoid selling their avatars, and consumers should reject platforms that replace humans with synthetic copies. Authenticity—imperfection, effort, and presence—is what people truly crave. To surrender this is to lose the very essence of humanity.
Auguste Meyrat is an English teacher in the Dallas area and senior editor of the Everyman.
