PHOENIX — A piece of legislation introduced in the Arizona House of Representatives is attempting to outlaw individuals from possessing and distributing child pornography that's been generated by artificial intelligence.
House Bill 2138 would amend Arizona's existing laws on exploiting children by adding "computer-generated image" to the types of pornographic materials that would be banned in the Grand Canyon State. Arizona State Rep. Julie Willoughby, R-District 13, is sponsoring the legislation.
Those prosecuted for such a crime could be charged with sexual exploitation of a minor, a Class 2 felony.
The bill defines "computer-generated image" as using technology to process data inputs to create images of a person that are indistinguishable from the actual person.
As AI technology has become more prolific in recent years, elected officials have begun to call for more legislation to stop people from using it to victimize or re-victimize children.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes co-signed a letter last year that demanded action on addressing how AI tools could be used to create disturbing "deepfakes" by scanning photos of children online.
“We are engaged in a race against time to protect the children of our country from the dangers of AI. Indeed, the proverbial walls of the city have already been breached. Now is the time to act," the letter stated.
Other states have recently begun to pass laws banning the use of artificial intelligence to generate pornographic images without the consent of the person depicted in the imagery.
The legislative session starts on Jan. 8.
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