Matthew McConaughey enlists the iconic phrase to stop AI abuse

Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey has trademarked his image and voice to protect them from unauthorized use by artificial intelligence (AI) platforms.

Clips of his famous catchphrase “alright, alright, alright” from the 1993 film “Dazed and Confused” have been registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office database, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports.

It was the first time an actor had tried to use trademark law to protect his likeness from AI misuse, his lawyers and an expert said.

Stars across Hollywood and the music industry, including Scarlett Johansson and Taylor Swift, have endured a wave of fake videos, audio files and images created by AI tools online.

The “Magic Mike” star’s lawyers told the WSJ they had no recent examples of McConaughey’s likeness being manipulated by AI, but hoped the trademarks could be used broadly against any unauthorized copies of him.

A secondary goal would be to “capture some of the value created with…”