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.<\/p>\n
The bill would make AI-generated child sexual abuse material a felony.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cGoing after child sex abuse material that is AI-generated, it deals with identity fraud and requires watermarks on AI-generated materials,\u201d Blessing said.<\/p>\n
[Watch more from FOX19 NOW]<\/a>Bill comes after local school warning<\/p>\n Last week, Mason City Schools sent a warning to parents<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re caught with that it\u2019s a felony, if you\u2019re creating it it\u2019s a felony,\u201d Blessing said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cHe said it\u2019s horrifying, because you can really believe that it\u2019s his child and his wife,\u201d Blessing said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re 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\u2019t know,\u201d Blessing said.<\/p>\n Blessing said lawmakers need to continue evolving legislation with technology.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there\u2019s enough growing anger and frustration on this issue that eventually it\u2019s going to be dealt with,\u201d Blessing said.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n