For most of the internet’s history, identity was built around access control—once you logged in, you were trusted. But AI has quietly broken that assumption by making human likenesses, such as voices and faces, easy to replicate. This post explores the fundamental shift from Login to Likeness and explains why our current identity systems must evolve from simply verifying access to actively governing how our identities are represented in the AI era.

Why Authorization is Becoming More Important Than Authentication Most digital identity systems were designed to answer one basic question: “Is this user allowed to access the system?” Authentication and verification exist to validate credentials—passwords, tokens, biometrics, or certificates. If those checks pass, the system assumes whatever happens next is legitimate. But AI has changed what comes next. Today, systems aren’t just granting access to humans; they’re allowing s