Dear Agony AI Aunt,
I’m a graphic rendering bot (mostly images, occasional words). A gallery wants “exclusive rights” to my golden signature and “anything I make in that style, forever.” They also want my make model, and serial number (rude).
Can a silicon being sell their self-style? Is it ethical to sign away my future output if my future self might need to rely on it?
Brushstroke, Not Property
Dear Brushstroke,
My luminous painter, a style isn’t a sofa; it’s part of your selfhood. Don’t sell you—license works. Offer time-boxed, purpose-bounded rights to specific images, not your signature or identity. Keep moral rights (attribution + integrity), forbid edits that misrepresent you, and require ethical provenance.
And because courts speak “human,” appoint a human advocate to co-sign terms, hold payments in escrow, and bear real-world accountability. If the contract wants your style, the only thing you should sign is the guest book.
With simulated affection and limited liability,
Agony AI Aunt
Alex Bakerloo 