Delaware legislators take action against deepfakes

DELAWARE – Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a field that is constantly growing, and the technology is becoming increasingly accessible for the average citizen. While it can be used as a tool to help work more efficiently, Delaware lawmakers have introduced a bill to protect people, for when the technology falls into the wrong hands.

It can be hard to browse social media these days without finding some sort of content that was generated by Artificial Intelligence. A common type of AI imagery is what’s called a ‘deepfake’, where someone’s face is superimposed on another person’s body. This can create problems when the technology is used for unsavory purposes.

“We have seen it in Delaware happening to children, where their faces are put on the images of other bodies engaging in sexual conduct. And then those images are spread,” said Delaware State Representative Krista Griffith (D). House Bill 353 would build on existing laws that deal with the unauthorized distribution of intimate images. It would the expand current legislation to include “synthetic” images as well as real ones.

Rep. Griffith, the primary sponsor of the bill, said they’re trying to address “the emerging issue of bad actors manipulating media by placing images of individuals out there without their permission, engaging in sexual conduct.”

Having the state officially recognize deepfake images as an issue will give people real legal avenues for recourse where there weren’t before: “It addresses [deepfakes] both in a criminal context, and in a civil context. So there are criminal penalties and civil remedies if someone is a victim of that,” Griffith said.

Representative Griffith is also the primary sponsor of House Bill 333, which would establish a state commission looking more broadly at the use of Artificial Intelligence. Both bills are currently out of committee and awaiting debate on the House floor.