California lawmakers approve legislation to ban deepfakes, protect workers and regulate AI

One of the major concerns addressed by the new legislation is the use of AI to create deepfakes. To counter the misuse of AI and to safeguard digital integrity, California lawmakers approve legislation to ban deepfakes, protect workers, and regulate AI.

Key Points

California is poised to become the first state in the nation to enact comprehensive safety measures for large AI models. Lawmakers, increasingly concerned about AI’s role in creating deceptive videos that could sway voters or produce explicit content involving minors, have passed several bills to address these issues.

The proposed legislation would prohibit deepfakes in the context of elections and mandate that large social media platforms remove such content 120 days before and 60 days after Election Day.

Campaigns would also need to disclose any AI-altered materials in their advertisements.

Furthermore, the new measures would criminalize the use of AI to generate images or videos of child sexual abuse, addressing a loophole in current laws that require the depiction of real individuals for prosecution.

The legislation also requires developers to reveal the data used to train their AI models. Additionally, one proposal would prevent state and local agencies from using AI to replace human workers in call centers.

Penalties for creating digital clones of deceased individuals without the consent of their estates are also under consideration.

To enhance AI literacy, lawmakers propose establishing a state working group to integrate AI education into various school subjects and developing guidelines for AI use in classrooms to ensure responsible adaptation to technological.

Background

Following the prolonged strike by Hollywood actors last year, legislators passed a proposal to safeguard workers, such as voice actors and audiobook narrators, from being substituted by AI-generated counterparts.

This legislation reflects the terms agreed upon in the contract between SAG-AFTRA and production studios the previous December.

Significance of Enhancing AI Literacy and Education

AI literacy empowers individuals to understand and leverage AI technologies, enabling them to participate effectively in the digital age.

A well-informed public is better equipped to critically evaluate the ethical implications of AI and advocate for responsible development and use.

AI literacy is essential for countries to remain competitive in the global economy, as AI is driving innovation and economic growth and as well as to identify deepfakes because Deepfakes can spread misinformation and disinformation at a rapid pace, leading to confusion, distrust, and social unrest.

Educating people about AI and deepfakes empowers them to critically evaluate and identify manipulated content.

News Gist

California has become the first state to enact comprehensive regulations on large AI models. Lawmakers, alarmed by the potential for AI to create deceptive videos and harmful content, have passed legislation to address these concerns. The new laws ban deepfakes related to elections, require transparency from developers, protect workers, and penalize the creation of AI-generated child sexual abuse material. California is also investing in AI literacy to ensure responsible AI development and use.