AI Ghostwriting, Deepfakes, and Digital Identity: What Business Owners Need to Prepare For

A look at emerging risks around AI-generated likenesses, endorsements, and identity protection.

Confidently utilizing technology as a business tool is a defining factor of modern entrepreneurship. This technology, most notably including all forms of artificial intelligence, is blurring the line between authentic communication and AI-generated content.

AI is increasingly utilized in the business world. As a result, general workflows are largely streamlined as AI can replicate your voice, clone your image, or fabricate audio and video. While this accessible, affordable, and widely used strategy comes with many advantages, it also poses a notable problem to our digital identity. 

At Sagsharma, we work with public-facing brands and companies that understand the world of business as it exists within the intersection of innovation, reputation, and legal risk.

Below are the key issues continuing to emerge as AI’s popularity increases, including AI ghostwriting, deepfakes, and identity misuse, along with practical steps we encourage business owners to take now.

1. Likeness and endorsements in the world of AI

Artificial intelligence can now both easily and convincingly replicate your writing style, voice, signatures, slogans, logos, and brand assets. This creates potential legal and reputational risks, including:

• Fake statements attributed to your business

• False endorsements tied to your name or brand

• Fraudulent fundraising or investment solicitations

• Scam emails from you or your business

• Fabricated videos or audio clips that appear authentic

Even if, down the line, these risks are exposed as inauthentic, the harm inflicted on your reputation may require time and resources to remedy.

Here in 2026, the question is posed: how do we maintain control over our identity in a world where it can be digitally duplicated?

2. AI ghostwriting: helpful or dangerous?

AI ghostwriting can be found utilized in:

• Email marketing

• Founder letters

• Blogs and thought leadership articles

• Social media content

While AI use alone is not necessarily the problem, the general acceleration of misrepresentation increases the potential for associated risks. These risks become more probable when:

• AI-generated content is presented as your personal statement without your knowledge

• Agencies imitate your tone or persona in ways that imply endorsement or collaboration

AI ghostwriting also intersects with:

• Right of both publicity and privacy

• Advertising and consumer protection rules

• Ownership and authorship of content generated by AI 

• Trademark risks

It is worth noting that artificial intelligence is not inherently the problem. Like any tool, its impact depends on how it’s used or misused. The business landscape is changing rapidly, and staying current with new technology, such as AI is an integral part of leading responsibly. The key is transparency and restraint: leverage AI to enhance your work, not to substitute your voice, experience, or professional integrity.

3. Deepfakes and synthetic media: the fastest-growing identity risk

Before we can begin to understand how to mitigate such a pervasive risk, it is important to understand what the threat is to begin with. Deepfakes are AI-generated audio or video that depict real people saying or doing things that never occurred.

Businesses are seeing deepfakes used to create:

• Fake executive announcements

• False investor presentations

• Fraudulent wire transfer instructions

• Fabricated testimonials and endorsements

• Crisis statements that were never made

The consequences are precarious and potentially include:

• Loss of stakeholder trust

• Reputational damage

• Confusion among teams and customers

• Financial loss

• Costly PR and legal response

Deepfakes are only increasing in popularity. As your business accelerates and you continue to scale, defending yourself against the risks of synthetic media should be considered a priority.

4. Your name, image, and voice are intellectual property

As your business scales, your identity increases in value. Accordingly, businesses and public figures should consider:

• Trademark registration for names, slogans, and any brand identifiers

• Trademarking your personal name when appropriate

• Copyright registration for your content and media

• Licensing agreements that clearly define how likeness or voice may be used, especially in terms of AI

Formulating a strong foundation in your brand protection makes it easier to act swiftly when misuse occurs down the line.

5. Update your contracts to consider AI at the forefront of business practices

Many contracts were drafted before AI tools became widespread and therefore lack the proper foundation if AI poses a threat. Some contracts to consider updating include, but are not limited to:

• Influencer and ambassador agreements

• Contractor and agency agreements

• Employment handbooks and social media policies

• Licensing and sponsorship agreements

Key questions to ask yourself:

• Can your content be used to train AI models?

• Who owns the AI-generated materials used in your business?

• How will AI-generated content be disclosed to consumers?

• What occurs if a partner misuses your likeness or voice? Is your foundation in place?

6. Internal AI policy: Build it now 

Businesses succeed when their AI policy clearly defines:

• Approved AI tools

• Prohibited uploads (confidential data and trade secrets)

• How to both source and label AI-generated material

• The procedure for reporting suspected impersonation or misuse

An AI policy protects your likeness, your customers' data, and your team and brand reputation. Policies that take AI into account can more confidently see consistency across all channels and communications.

7. What business owners should do next

To reduce risk around AI identity misuse as your company grows, business owners should consider:

• Registering trademarks and protecting brand assets as soon as possible

• Reviewing rights of publicity and likeness usage and making sure they are current

• Updating contracts

• Implementing AI and social media policies and regulations

• Continuing to monitor for impersonation and scams

• Educating leadership and team members about emerging risks to be aware of

AI will only continue to mature. Your ability and right to control your name, likeness, and brand remain fundamental to business success.

Sagsharma’s Perspective

Whether you are a founder, executive, creator, or growing company, your identity is your most important business asset.

At Sagsharma, we work with ambitious brands to identity protection, contracts, trademarks, licensing, and emerging legal issues involving AI and digital media. To learn more about how we can support your business, please feel free to contact our team. We would love to connect with you. 

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: The information provided herein is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Reading this blog does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Sagsharma LLC.