Lawmakers push for deep fake regulation
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LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – As artificial intelligence grows, deep fakes are becoming more common.
Deep fakes are digitally altered videos, audio, or photos showing a person saying or doing something that they never did. A set of bills discussed Tuesday would ban intimate deep fakes. Anajana Susarla is a professor at Michigan State University and an expert on AI. She said there are a lot of positives when it comes to AI, but there are also negatives like a deep fake portraying someone naked. She said there needs to be regulations.
“We associate deep fakes with something like deep fake Tom Cruise, deep fake Keanu Reeves. Those are all really cute, I think we see them on TikTok and Instagram. But we have to think, what if you’re doing something with malicious intent?” Susarla said.
And a sexually deep fake situation happened right here in Mid-Michigan. Back in July, 6 News reported on a woman who posted a picture of herself fully clothed. Someone then sent her the same photo back, but they AI generated her naked. Situations like this are why lawmakers have proposed a set of bills that would ban intimate deep fakes, which include putting artifically generated genitals on a person. One lawmaker backing these bills, State Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou said the state needs to get ahead of AI sooner rather than later.
“We’ve seen an upsurge in these types of images on the internet. They’re really easy to create there’s websites where you can put a picture of someone in and they can do all sorts of things.
Tsernoglou said these bills would create civil and/or criminal penalties for distributing deep fake sexual images. Depending on the details of the situation, it could be a misdemeanor or felony. There is also an exemption for consent. Tsernaglou said the bills passed the committee with a unanimous vote.
“This could be a nonpolitical subject.” Tsernoglou continued, “That we could come together in support of passing good laws that would benefit society.”
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