In a significant move to safeguard digital content, a bipartisan group of US senators has introduced a new bill to help authenticate and detect artificial intelligence-generated content. The Content Origin Protection and Integrity from Edited and Deepfaked Media Act, also known as the COPIED Act, is designed to protect journalists and artists from having their work used without permission by AI models.
Aiming to prevent misuse of AI-generated content
The COPIED Act aims to empower the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to create standards and guidelines to prove the origin of content and detect synthetic content, such as through watermarking. The bill also mandates security measures to prevent tampering and requires AI tools for creative or journalistic content to let users attach information about their origin. It would make it illegal to remove or tamper with this information. Moreover, the bill prohibits using such content to train AI models without permission.
Content owners, including broadcasters, artists, and newspapers, would have the right to sue companies they believe have used their materials without permission or tampered with authentication markers. Enforcement of the bill could also come from state attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission, who would ensure no one removes, disables, or tampers with content provenance information, with certain exceptions for security research purposes.
Support and enforcement
The introduction of the COPIED Act comes amid a wave of AI-related bills as the US Senate seeks to understand and regulate this rapidly advancing technology. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has led efforts to create an AI roadmap for the chamber, clarifying that new laws would be developed within individual committees. The COPIED Act benefits from the support of key figures, including Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Senate AI Working Group member Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Commerce Committee member Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
The bill has garnered applause from several publishing and artists’ groups, including SAG-AFTRA, the Recording Industry Association of America, the News/Media Alliance, and the Artist Rights Alliance.
“The capacity of AI to produce stunningly accurate digital representations of performers poses a real and present threat to the economic and reputational well-being and self-determination of our members,” stated Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, national executive director and chief negotiator of SAG-AFTRA. “We need a fully transparent and accountable supply chain for generative artificial intelligence and the content it creates to protect everyone’s basic right to control the use of their face, voice, and persona.”
Conclusion
The COPIED Act is a crucial step towards protecting content creators from AI technologies’ misuse of their work. By establishing clear guidelines and enforcing strict measures, the bill aims to create a safer digital environment where the integrity of original content is maintained and creators are duly respected for their contributions. As the Senate continues to explore and regulate AI technology, the COPIED Act stands out as a pivotal move to safeguard the rights and livelihoods of content creators across various industries.
