WME Announces First Major AI Partnership with Authenticated AI Company Vermillio to Protect Artists and Create New Revenue Opportunities

Leading talent agency WME has partnered with Vermillio, the first Generative AI platform that empowers creators and intellectual property (IP) holders to unlock their potential and protect their work with Authenticated AI. Through Vermillio’s Trace ID™, WME’s clients will be protected from IP theft and given the opportunity to monetize their image and likeness by licensing their data. WME is the first talent agency to deploy a protective and proactive solution for empowering artists in the world of synthetic content by securely licensing their data and ensuring long term value of their IP.

With Vermillio’s Trace ID™ platform, artists, creators, actors, musicians, and more can track and authenticate the use of their IP — including their likenesses and voice — in Generative AI content, enabling permission, fair credit and compensation for their work and control of how it is used by others. At the same time, Vermillio’s Authenticated AI opens doors for talent to offer fans opportunities to safely engage with them in new and immersive ways. Under the partnership, WME clients will have a preferred rate and access to Vermillio’s Trace ID platform, where their current and future data will be stored and protected on the blockchain with smart contracting. Vermillio then matches content with the artist’s data to both remove unapproved synthetic content and generate new and approved synthetic content with a wide variety of monetization opportunities.

"This is a breakthrough partnership with WME in the development of responsible, artist-led uses of generative AI," said Dan Neely, Co-Founder and CEO of Vermillio. "Using Vermillio's Trace ID technology and authenticated AI platform, WME clients will have priority access to remove unapproved content and build truly unique experiences for their fans that safely leverage their valuable IP and data. As a forward-thinking talent agency that represents some of the most beloved artists in the world, we’re excited to work with WME to deliver AI technology solutions that empower creators and provide fans with novel entertainment experiences."

In addition to the Trace platform, WME clients will gain access to a Vermillio dashboard that manages their data, licenses it to third party companies, and builds their own custom synthetic content engines. The dashboard offers a secure and seamless way for clients to earn revenue on their likeness, data, and IP.

"With 30,000 hours worth of content being uploaded to YouTube every hour, alongside the enormous rise of generative AI content being created and consumed, we look forward to partnering with Vermillio to protect and empower clients," said Chris Jacquemin, Partner and Head of Digital Strategy at WME. "Vermillio’s Trace ID will not only shield talent from the risks of AI, but also leverage its remarkable power to deliver world class experiences and create new revenue streams for our clients."

Vermillio has already leveraged Trace ID for groundbreaking projects in partnership with some of the world’s leading IP holders. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Vermillio previously launched the "Spidersociety" Generative AI engine – an online application that allows fans of the Spider-Verse franchise from around the world to use a custom AI engine that draws upon official, authenticated intellectual property from the films to create a digital Spider-Verse version of themselves. The project marked the first time a major studio has used generative AI to build a fan experience around interacting with iconic IP. In partnership with Sony Music Entertainment and Legacy Recordings, Vermillio collaborated with The Orb and David Gilmour to develop “Metallic Spheres in Colour.” Through Trace ID, the breakthrough AI project allowed fans to create their own personalized AI track and artwork remixed from portions of "Metallic Spheres in Colour."