SPRINGFIELD — As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes more popular, the concern about the risk of fraud rises.
In Ohio, state lawmakers have introduced a new bill aimed at protecting people from “deepfakes.”
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House Bill 367 defines a “deepfake” recording as any visual or audio media that is “created or altered in a manner such that it falsely appears to be an authentic record of the actual speech or conduct of an individual depicted in the media or recording.”
There are thousands of these types of videos online, using AI to impersonate anyone from regular people to celebrities and public officials. Creators can make anyone say or do nearly anything without that person’s consent.
People in the Miami Valley, like Josephine Rardon, called these videos “destructive.”
“It’s really destructive because it can ruin somebody’s life,” Rardon, of Springfield, said.
State Representative Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) agreed with Rardon.
“For a normal person, you could do things to harm their reputation,” he told News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott.
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As we reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, Mathews is a sponsor of HB 367 to try and put a stop to these “deepfakes” to protect Ohioans. He said the current law has “no recourse” for those behind the videos or recordings.
“This type of legislation puts everyone on an equal playing field so no one can use your face in a way that is against your dignity,” he said.
The bill would couple AI into an already existing law that would keep people from using another’s name, image, or likeness to defraud or to sponsor a product without their consent. “Deepfake” creators could also be fined up to $15,000.