Blab AI
Cate Blanchett Launches Human Consent Registry to Give Individuals Control Over AI Use of Their Likeness
On May 12, 2026, actress Cate Blanchett stepped into the data arena, announcing a tool that could give everyday people a say over how AI systems use their likeness. The Human Consent Registry, a free public platform developed by her nonprofit RSL Media, lets anyone in the United States and the European Union record how their identity may be employed by artificial‑intelligence models.
The registry’s interface is straightforward. Users enter basic biographical details—name, profession, and a link to a personal website or social‑media handle—then choose a consent level that follows a stop‑light system: Prohibited (red), Permitted with Terms (yellow), or Permitted (green). Completing the form generates a unique Human Consent ID that AI platforms can query before incorporating any part of a person’s likeness into training data or generation.
RSL Media’s press release explains that the registry covers a broad array of personal attributes, including name, image, likeness, voice, movement, and other signature traits. The nonprofit plans to extend the framework with additional registries for “Work,” “Characters,” and “Marks,” which will apply to creative works, fictional personas, and trademarks.
RSL Media is a public‑benefit nonprofit co‑founded by Cate Blanchett, CEO Nikki Hexum, and Doug Leeds. Its mission is to make creative rights machine‑readable at AI scale. The Human Consent Standard, built on the Really Simple Licensing (RSL) protocol, is a lightweight, open standard that has already gained traction among digital publishers for establishing usage rights and licensing terms.
While the registry offers a clear way for individuals to express how their identity may be used, the nonprofit acknowledges that there is currently no enforcement mechanism to compel AI firms to honor the consent signals. Users also provide personal data to a third‑party platform, so the nonprofit advises caution. The registry’s creators note that it is a voluntary tool and that its effectiveness will depend on adoption by AI developers and the broader ecosystem.
The Human Consent Registry is part of a broader wave of initiatives that seek to give people more control over the use of their personal data in AI systems. Similar efforts have emerged in the music, film, and publishing industries, where creators increasingly demand that their works be licensed or paid for when used by large language models or image generators.
RSL Media’s launch follows the nonprofit’s earlier announcement in May that it would publish a Human Consent Standard, a framework that translates consent declarations into machine‑readable signals. The standard is intended to enable AI platforms to query registries before ingesting or generating protected material.
Industry observers note that the registry’s success will hinge on two factors: the willingness of AI developers to integrate consent checks into their pipelines, and the ability of the registry to attract a critical mass of users. The nonprofit has not yet disclosed any partnerships with major AI providers, and no regulatory mandate currently requires AI systems to consult such registries.
In the absence of enforcement, the registry represents a voluntary, user‑controlled approach to identity protection. It also highlights the growing importance of clear, machine‑readable consent mechanisms as AI models become more pervasive across media, commerce, and public services.
Looking ahead, RSL Media plans to roll out additional registries for creative works, characters, and trademarks. The nonprofit also intends to refine the Human Consent Standard to support more granular permissions and to encourage broader industry adoption.
For now, the Human Consent Registry offers a free, straightforward way for individuals to signal how their identity may be used by AI. Its impact will depend on how widely AI developers adopt the consent‑checking protocol and how many people choose to register their likenesses.
The registry’s interface is straightforward. Users enter basic biographical details—name, profession, and a link to a personal website or social‑media handle—then choose a consent level that follows a stop‑light system: Prohibited (red), Permitted with Terms (yellow), or Permitted (green). Completing the form generates a unique Human Consent ID that AI platforms can query before incorporating any part of a person’s likeness into training data or generation.
RSL Media’s press release explains that the registry covers a broad array of personal attributes, including name, image, likeness, voice, movement, and other signature traits. The nonprofit plans to extend the framework with additional registries for “Work,” “Characters,” and “Marks,” which will apply to creative works, fictional personas, and trademarks.
RSL Media is a public‑benefit nonprofit co‑founded by Cate Blanchett, CEO Nikki Hexum, and Doug Leeds. Its mission is to make creative rights machine‑readable at AI scale. The Human Consent Standard, built on the Really Simple Licensing (RSL) protocol, is a lightweight, open standard that has already gained traction among digital publishers for establishing usage rights and licensing terms.
While the registry offers a clear way for individuals to express how their identity may be used, the nonprofit acknowledges that there is currently no enforcement mechanism to compel AI firms to honor the consent signals. Users also provide personal data to a third‑party platform, so the nonprofit advises caution. The registry’s creators note that it is a voluntary tool and that its effectiveness will depend on adoption by AI developers and the broader ecosystem.
The Human Consent Registry is part of a broader wave of initiatives that seek to give people more control over the use of their personal data in AI systems. Similar efforts have emerged in the music, film, and publishing industries, where creators increasingly demand that their works be licensed or paid for when used by large language models or image generators.
RSL Media’s launch follows the nonprofit’s earlier announcement in May that it would publish a Human Consent Standard, a framework that translates consent declarations into machine‑readable signals. The standard is intended to enable AI platforms to query registries before ingesting or generating protected material.
Industry observers note that the registry’s success will hinge on two factors: the willingness of AI developers to integrate consent checks into their pipelines, and the ability of the registry to attract a critical mass of users. The nonprofit has not yet disclosed any partnerships with major AI providers, and no regulatory mandate currently requires AI systems to consult such registries.
In the absence of enforcement, the registry represents a voluntary, user‑controlled approach to identity protection. It also highlights the growing importance of clear, machine‑readable consent mechanisms as AI models become more pervasive across media, commerce, and public services.
Looking ahead, RSL Media plans to roll out additional registries for creative works, characters, and trademarks. The nonprofit also intends to refine the Human Consent Standard to support more granular permissions and to encourage broader industry adoption.
For now, the Human Consent Registry offers a free, straightforward way for individuals to signal how their identity may be used by AI. Its impact will depend on how widely AI developers adopt the consent‑checking protocol and how many people choose to register their likenesses.
