A group of lawmakers have introduced a measure that directs the Department of Homeland Security to do a yearly study of deepfakes — manipulated or fabricated media created by artificial intelligence to look realistic.
The Deepfake Report Act was put forth June 28 by Sens. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D.
The bill mirrors one introduced also Friday in the House by R Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., Pete King, R-N.Y., Stephanie Murphy, D-Texas, and Will Hurd, R-Texas.
In a statement, Gardner said the nation needs to better understand how to tackle technologies such as deepfakes, “and this bipartisan legislation is a crucial step in that direction,” he added.
Portman called deepfakes “an increasing threat to our democracy” that will require policymakers to address important questions around civil liberties and privacy.
“This bill prepares our country to answer those questions and address concerns by ensuring we have a sound understanding of this issue,” he said in a statement. “As concerns with deepfakes grow by the day, I urge my colleagues to swiftly pass this bipartisan legislation.”
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