Synthesia, an AI startup in London, is preparing to pay human actors with company shares in exchange for their likeness, with which it plans to make digital avatars, reported Financial Times.

The company’s valuation is around $2.1 billion and it is working to create a pool of shares worth currently about $1 million. The pool of shares is dedicated to compensate actors who let Synthesia use their likenesses to help it develop digital avatars and other products or features, per the outlet.

The company’s chief executive, Victor Riparbelli, proposed thinking of these actors as company employees who were eligible to receive shares, according to the report.

The idea may sound far-fetched, but actors in the U.S. have already raised complaints about how they were allegedly scanned without permission for the potential creation of digital likenesses.

The use of AI-generated versions of real actors was also an issue raised during the 2023 Hollywood performers strike.

Paying an actor in the form of company shares could work well if the company itself flourishes and the shares rise in value even as the actors’ digital likenesses continue to be used.

However, Synthesia has faced issues with the unauthorised use of its AI-generated digital avatars in the past, though it has taken steps to secure its offerings, the report said.