(WXYZ) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed two bipartisan bills that prohibit deep-fake AI pornography.
House Bills 4047 and 4048 – sponsored by State Reps. Matthew Bierlein (R-Vassar) and Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing) prohibit deep fakes that include harmful sexual content featuring a specific individual.
Deep fakes use AI to create fake media, including videos, pictures, or audio, of events that never happened.
“I am so excited, proud, and relieved that because of these bills, it is now illegal for individuals to create or disseminate intimate deep fakes of an individual without their consent here in Michigan,” Tsernoglou said in a statement. “These bills mark the beginning stages of a long, bumpy journey that our state faces when trying to regulate artificial intelligence, yet my hope is that these bills will serve as another example that progress is possible when it comes to regulating AI.”
“With the governor’s signature, Michigan is making it clear that non-consensual intimate deepfakes have no place in our state. This law protects the dignity and privacy of every citizen and gives victims the tools they need to seek justice,” Bierlein added in a statement. “Technology should be used to improve lives, not to exploit them — and today we’ve taken an important step to ensure that.”
“As a county prosecutor, I went after people who used their power to prey on others,” Whitmer said. “Now, as governor, I’m proud to sign these bipartisan bills into law, so we can protect Michiganders from this rising form of sexual exploitation. I’ll keep working with anyone to protect Michiganders from blackmail or retribution, because no one should have to live in fear. Together, let’s get it done.”
