Today, a group of U.S. senators introduced the No Counterfeiting Act, which would make it illegal to digitally copy a person’s voice or likeness without their consent. The bill was sponsored by Senators Chris Coons (D), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and Thom Tillis (D-Minnesota). lis, Republican - North Carolina), the two parties jointly proposed the full name of the "Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act of 2024" (Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act of 2024).
If passed, the bill would give people the option to seek damages when their voices, faces or bodies are copied by artificial intelligence. Both individuals and companies will be held liable for making, hosting or sharing unauthorized digital copies, including copies generated by artificial intelligence.
We've seen many examples of celebrities finding themselves modeled after in the world. Taylor Swift was used to defraud by posing as the spokesperson for a LeCreuset kitchenware giveaway. A voice that sounds a lot like Scarlett Johansson's voice appears in ChatGPT's voice demo. AI can also be used to get political candidates to make false claims, with Kamala Harris being the most recent example. It's not just celebrities who can fall victim to deepfakes.
"Everyone has the right to own and protect their own voice and likeness, whether you're Taylor Swift or someone else," the lawmakers said. "Generative AI can serve as a tool to promote creativity, but not at the expense of unauthorized exploitation of anyone's voice or likeness."
The pace of new legislation often lags behind the development of new technologies, so it’s encouraging to see lawmakers taking AI regulation seriously. Today's proposed bill follows the Senate's recent passage of the DEFIANCE Act, which would allow victims of sex fraud to sue for damages.
Several entertainment organizations have expressed support for the No Forgery Act, including SAG-AFTRA, RIAA, the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Academy. Many of these organizations have been taking action of their own to gain protection against unauthorized AI recreations. SAG-AFTRA recently went on strike against several game publishers in an attempt to reach union agreements for likenesses in video games.
OpenAI is also among the supporters of the bill. "OpenAI is pleased to support the No Counterfeiting Act, which will protect the voices and likenesses of creators and artists from unauthorized digital copying," said Anna Makanju, Vice President of Global Affairs at OpenAI. "Creators and artists deserve to be protected from unfair impersonation, and thoughtful legislation at the federal level can bring about change."