A bipartisan bill recently cosponsored by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) aims to protect Americans against fraud enabled by artificial intelligence (AI).
“While there is incredible potential with artificial intelligence,” Sen. Capito said, “we must also be vigilant in protecting against harmful uses of the technology, especially when it comes to fraud and scams.”
The senator on Dec. 16 introduced the Artificial Intelligence Scam Prevention Act, S. 3495, which is sponsored by U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), to prohibit the use of AI to replicate any person’s image or voice with the intent to defraud.
The bill also would codify the Federal Trade Commission’s ban on impersonating government or business officials, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Capito’s staff.
“I’m proud to help introduce the Artificial Intelligence Scam Prevention Act, legislation that explicitly prohibits AI fraud, particularly impersonations and deepfakes, and empowers federal agencies to take greater action against these criminals,” said Sen. Capito.
If enacted, S. 3495 also would update existing laws with definitions for text messages, video conference calls, and artificial or prerecorded voice, and would create an advisory committee to ensure inter-agency cooperation in enforcing scam prevention.
Additionally, the bill would update the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act and the Communications Act of 1934 by adding definitions for text messages, video conference calls, and artificial or prerecorded voice to ensure federal laws reflect 21st century technology, the summary says.
“Artificial intelligence has allowed scams to become more sophisticated, making it easier for fraudsters to deceive people — especially seniors and children — into giving up their personal information or hard-earned money,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation will help take on scammers who use AI to copy someone’s voice or image.”
The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee is considering the bill.