'Artificial intelligence' criminalized in the US
With a new decision taken in the US state of New Jersey, the creation of "deceptive" media content produced with artificial intelligence support has been criminalized.
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New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has signed a bill that classifies the creation and dissemination of misleading "deepfake" media content in the digital environment as a "crime punishable by up to 5 years in prison" and paves the way for lawsuits to be filed against perpetrators.
Regarding the new law, which he announced in a post on his X account, Murphy stated, "While AI (artificial intelligence) is a powerful tool, it must be used responsibly. We stand with all victims of deepfake images and will do everything in our power to hold bad actors accountable."
Under state law, such AI-supported "deepfake" production is now criminalized by being defined as "any video, audio recording, or image that realistically depicts a person performing an action they did not actually perform."
The new law, which includes penalties that will result in conviction for the perpetrator, also establishes civil penalties that will allow victims to file lawsuits.
Meanwhile, reports in the US media indicate that similar laws targeting such AI-supported visual content on the internet have been enacted in at least 20 states across the country.