Deepfakes, real problem

AI deepfakes are spreading faster than a hot piece of gossip – and Congress is taking notice. A bipartisan group of senators behind 2024’s “No Fakes Act” will soon present an updated version of the legislation to Congress, CNN reports.

The legislation penalizes the creation of unsanctioned AI deepfakes, and requires social media sites to take down flagged content. It also comes alongside the “Take It Down Act,” a recently introduced bill aiming to specifically criminalize deepfake and revenge porn (that earned support from First Lady Melania Trump).

AI-ay-ay

AI deepfakes of celebrities and public figures have been increasingly used by online scammers in recent years:

• Steve Harvey has been the subject of thousands of AI memes and videos, with his likeness recently seen in posts trying to trick people into believing a $6,400 government scam.
• Scarlett Johansson spoke out in February about AI being used to create a fake video of herself condemning Ye (formerly Kanye West).
• A woman in France lost ~$850,000 after scammers used AI images of Brad Pitt to con her into thinking she was helping the actor.

Both the No Fakes and Take It Down Acts, if passed, propose steep fines for violations, potentially leading to millions of dollars in penalties for viral AI content.

📸 Big picture: In 2018, there were ~19,000 pieces of deepfake content, according to AI-tracking company Vermillo. Today, there are roughly a million created every minute.