The bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Bill Blessing (R-8th District), would make it a third-degree felony for AI to create child sexual abuse material.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — When Liz Klein was 15 years old, her older brother warned her about an image that was circulating on the wrestling team.
Klein said someone took photos of her on social media from a beach vacation and used artificial intelligence to alter the images to look pornographic.
“I was upset and embarrassed,” she said. “Even though it’s not a real photo, I’m embarrassed to think that other people are looking at me like that.”
Klein went to the principal’s office to report the incident and called her mother.
“He was very angry,” said his mother, Christine. “It’s heartbreaking to know that your daughter is going through something like this. Fortunately, she is very strong.”
Klein spent the next few weeks addressing the rumors, telling people the images were fake.
“I always made sure to make it clear that they were fake and that they were AI,” Klein said.
Now 17 years old, AI is gaining more and more attention. Klein sent a letter to lawmakers calling for action.
“So the same thing that happened to me won’t happen to other girls and they will receive more justice than I did,” she said.
According to child advocacy group Enough Abuse, Ohio is just one of five states without a law specific to AI-generated child sexual abuse material.
Bipartisan Senate Bill 163 seeks to change that.
The bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Bill Blessing (R-8th District), would make it a third-degree felony for AI to create child sexual abuse material.
“There will eventually be a legal framework to go after AI-generated child pornography, but as you know, it’s not clear at this point how that is illegal,” Blessing said.
The bill would also allow victims and the attorney general’s office to file civil lawsuits against AI companies and perpetrators.
“Victims will be able to go to court and win. It’s only in ambiguous cases at the moment, but going to court is expensive. Having that clarity would make a huge difference for victims,” Blessing said.
The bill also calls for other AI protections, such as requiring AI companies to watermark AI-generated content.
It also prohibits impersonation fraud using a “replica of an individual’s persona.”
Senate Bill 163 is still in committee, but Blessing said he hopes to pass it this session.
Klein sees AI continuing to become more powerful and hopes to be able to take action soon.
“People may still be taking pictures like that,” she said.
