CINCINNATI (WXIX) – An Ohio bill that would regulate artificial intelligence is making its way through the Senate, with a local senator as the main sponsor.
The bill would make AI-generated child sexual abuse material a felony.
Senator Bill Blessing is working to pass Ohio House Bill 163, which would regulate tech companies and artificial intelligence. The bill focuses on three main areas.
“Going after child sex abuse material that is AI-generated, it deals with identity fraud and requires watermarks on AI-generated materials,” Blessing said.
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Last week, Mason City Schools sent a warning to parents about the creation or sharing of inappropriate, sexual, and harmful digital content. Blessing said the bill is necessary to ensure AI-generated child sex abuse material is clearly illegal.
“If you’re caught with that it’s a felony, if you’re creating it it’s a felony,” Blessing said.
Blessing said there are some AI regulations, but he believes enforcement on the issue has been lacking. He said he has spoken with a family who was traumatized after AI-generated naked pictures of a mother and her child were found.
“He said it’s horrifying, because you can really believe that it’s his child and his wife,” Blessing said.
The bill would allow private citizens to sue tech companies if the images are made on their platform. Blessing said requiring AI-generated material to include a watermark could also help families in situations like this.
“If you’re seeing an increase in the proliferation of this sort of thing, the tech companies have some culpability; they have to be held accountable to some degree. What that looks like, I don’t know,” Blessing said.
Blessing said lawmakers need to continue evolving legislation with technology.
“I think there’s enough growing anger and frustration on this issue that eventually it’s going to be dealt with,” Blessing said.
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