A bipartisan group of senators has reintroduced legislation aimed at adopting similar misuses to deepfake voices generated by AI, and has gained support from stakeholders in the entertainment and technology industry.
Chris Coons (D-DE), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) have reintroduced No Fakes (Keeping Original, Foster Art, and Entertainment Safe). (R-TX-1) and Becca Balint (D-VT-AT University) almost a year after the bill was first introduced last July. Entertainment organisations such as SAG-AFTRA, RIAA, and MPA have expressed support for the last bill. The newly reintroduced bill also gained support from YouTube, Openai and others.
This bill establishes federal rights for all Americans to their voices and visual likeness. This is a particularly sought after distinction for famous actors and recording artists. According to a press release, the bill also requires “quickly removing fraudulent deepfakes” from the UGC platform. The liability lies with the individual who notifies the platform regarding the use of unauthorized deepfakes.
At a press conference Wednesday, supporters stressed that the bill was supported by a bipartisan coalition, with Rep. Maria Salazar (R-FL) stressing that “it’s not politics.” Film Association Chairman and CEO Charlie Livkin called the proposed law “a reminder that Congress and our community can come together to do great things for the benefit of our creators and for all Americans.”
The bill strives to provide their voices and likeness with the rights of both ordinary Americans and superstars, providing an opportunity to hold both infringers and platforms accountable. However, several celebrities were on hand Wednesday to provide their thoughts on how the proposed regulations could help their community.
Country and gospel singer-songwriter Randy Travis, who suffers from aphasia after a stroke in 2013, raised the point that singers like AI can help singers like him record new music like him. In a statement delivered by his wife Mary, Travis said, according to a recent recording made possible by new technology, “it’s very different from stealing my voice and stealing music, or producing music that I wouldn’t be involved or allowed to.
Actor Fran Drescher, who serves as president of actor Union Sag AFTRA, conveyed her own concerns. “When the bad guys are actually trying to put words in my mouth, it’s against my moral compass and everything I stand, that’s where rubber meets the road,” she said. “Now is the time to define what is right and what is wrong.”
AI deepfakes have become more and more common as technology has improved and more accessible to the public, as is evident recently in a viral video depicting deepfakes by David Schwimmer, Jerry Seinfeld and Scarlett Johansson.
“I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance towards any kind of anti-Semitism or hate speech. But I firmly believe that the possibility of hate speech hanging on AI is a much greater threat than anyone who is accountable for it,” Johansson said in a statement on the video in February. “No matter what the AI message is, there is a risk of calling for misuse of AI or losing real-life holds.”
Joining lawmakers directly to praise the bill are Rivkin, recording academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., Drescher, Riaa CEO Mitch Glazier, YouTube global head Vivien Lewit, Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl and Travis.
“This bill reflects what happens when the technology and creative industries come together. It promotes cutting-edge innovation while protecting human identity and artistry,” Kyncl said in a statement. “We look forward to working with key members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to help them pass the No-Fakes Act this year.”
“This bill proves that it can prioritize AI growth and protect America’s creativity,” Glazier said in a statement. “We praise Senators Blackburn, Coon, Tillis and Klobuchar. Representatives Salazar, Dean, Moran, Barint and bipartisan colleagues praise our incredible leadership in promoting this legislation that provides balanced and effective protection for all individuals while supporting freedom of speech and comfort, providing voice and likeness and organizing AI technology.
At a press conference on Wednesday, policymakers stressed that they believe the bill could be passed this time. Klobuchar pointed out that her bipartisan suggested that she had avoided passing it over to deal with non-consensual porn, including deeply raised ones, offering no fake hope. Coons said stakeholders wouldn’t exist without the willingness to “move this forward.”
And in her remarks, Blackburn emphasized that all attendees want to get the bill “beyond the finish line.” She added: “There’s a lot of momentum in this.”
