A group of bipartisan Ohio legislators is pushing for legislation that would criminalize the utilization of artificial intelligence to produce sexually explicit material involving children and adults without their consent.
The recent incident involving the creation of non-consensual and explicit images of Taylor Swift using Microsoft Designer software by malicious users has sparked concerns about the misuse of AI technology for harmful purposes.
Microsoft has responded by reinforcing its safety measures to prevent the generation of such inappropriate images using their services, emphasizing their commitment to providing a safe online environment for all users.
This issue extends beyond celebrities, as highlighted by a case where a Kentucky man faced charges for possessing real child abuse images but not for AI-generated ones, exposing a gap in current legislation.
Senator Louis W. “Bill” Blessing, III, along with Senators Terry Johnson and Catherine Ingram, has introduced SB 217 to address this loophole. The bill proposes felony charges for creating, possessing, and sharing AI-generated child sexual abuse material, as well as deepfake content without consent.
Additionally, the legislation mandates the inclusion of watermarks on all AI-generated products, with penalties for their removal. Online platforms would be required to promptly remove AI-generated inappropriate content upon notification by the attorney general, with fines for non-compliance.
While acknowledging the enforcement challenges, the bill aims to provide recourse for victims and hold platforms accountable for monitoring and removing harmful content. Attorney General Dave Yost has expressed support for this initiative.
Microsoft has reiterated its commitment to safety and respect for users, emphasizing their efforts to enhance safety systems and prevent the misuse of their services for generating inappropriate content through responsible AI practices and content filtering mechanisms.
