The legislation, introduced by Sens. Bill Blessing, R-Colerain Twp., and Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, focuses on AI\u2019s ability to generate so-called deepfakes, which are fabricated videos, images or audio recordings that use someone\u2019s likeness, often without the consent of that person. <\/p>\n
S.B. 163 would do three main things.<\/p>\n
First, it would require all AI-generated images to come with a watermark signaling the image is indeed fabricated, and it makes it a civil violation to remove that watermark for the purpose of concealing where the image came from.<\/p>\n
Second, the bill would make it a third-degree felony for a person to make or transmit any artificially generated depiction of a minor; and a fourth-degree felony to possess any \u201csimulated obscene material\u201d of anyone.<\/p>\n
ExploreSeeing further, knowing more, doing more: This is how Dayton uses AI<\/a><\/p>\n Third, the bill would expand Ohio\u2019s definition of identity fraud, making it illegal to use a \u201creplica of a person\u2019s persona\u201d (a person\u2019s voice, photograph, image, likeness, or distinctive appearance) with the intent to defraud, pressure someone into a financial decision, damage a person\u2019s reputation, depict someone in a sexually suggestive way, or \u201cfor the purposes of violating child enticement or child obscenity laws.\u201d<\/p>\n The bill sits in the Senate Judiciary Committee and has had three hearings. Blessing, the bill\u2019s joint sponsor, told this outlet that the proposal \u201cis very much still alive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think there are a number of people that see the problems with creating something that looks exactly like somebody else in a compromising position, (or) using somebody\u2019s voice to commit identity fraud,\u201c Blessing said in an interview. \u201dYou know, there are all sorts of things that this can be used for. I think the General Assembly recognizes we\u2019ve got to work on this.\u201d<\/p>\n The state has two primary options on how to regulate actions like this: it could place restrictions on a consumer\u2019s legal uses of a product, or it could place restrictions on what type of functions a producer\u2019s product can actually produce. <\/p>\n Blessing said he wants to do both.<\/p>\n ExploreLocal career tech center adds AI to the curriculum this year<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cBroadly speaking, the tech industry is very powerful for obvious reasons,\u201d he said. \u201cTheir economic might leads to massive political might, and they simply do not want to be regulated in any meaningful fashion.\u201d<\/p>\n S.B. 163 has so far seen measured opposition from tech advocates. <\/p>\n A representative of TechNet, a lobbying firm for tech giants like Apple, Amazon, Meta, OpenAI and more, told the Senate Judiciary Committee that its members commend S.B. 163\u2019s goals of \u201cprotecting children, preventing fraud, and promoting transparency in AI-generated media.\u201d <\/p>\n Still, TechNet asked for various changes in the bill, including language clearly stating that \u201cliability should be squarely on the bad actor: the person creating, viewing, promoting, or distributing\u201d nefarious content. <\/p>\n The bill got a more full-throated endorsement from Yost, who bemoaned AI\u2019s lack of transparency and told lawmakers that he viewed S.B. 163 as a measure that would protect individual liberties, Ohioans\u2019 faith in government, and provide safeguards for children in Ohio.<\/p>\n \u201cProtecting the unprotected is key here. We absolutely must do everything we can to ensure that AI tools are not used for evil, and that our children can be children without the fear of AI manipulated photos appearing online,\u201d Yost said. \u201cThese are the type of things that keep me up at night.\u201d<\/p>\n For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter<\/a>. It\u2019s free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. <\/p>\n Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X<\/a>, via email<\/a>, or you can drop him a comment\/tip with the survey below.<\/p>\n