Artificial intelligence continues to advance at a rapid pace, offering new tools and opportunities that could greatly benefit society. However, lawmakers are increasingly concerned about how the technology can also be misused—particularly when it is used to create deceptive media that can embarrass individuals or even ruin lives.
Representative Juandalynn Givan of Birmingham has introduced legislation aimed at addressing those concerns. The proposed bill would make it a crime to distribute what is defined as “materially deceptive media” and would allow state courts to issue permanent injunctions against individuals who distribute such content.
According to Givan, the legislation targets media that falsely portrays a person engaging in speech or conduct in which they did not actually participate. This includes situations where manipulated audio or video gives the impression that someone said or did something they never did…