
As artificial intelligence grows, lawmakers are stepping in to limit its harmful uses. Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, a Republican from Elgin, has introduced a bill to deter the creation and distribution of AI-generated revenge pornography—a modern malaise that transgresses the bounds of personal privacy. House Bill 1364, as reported by the Oklahoma House of Representatives, would fold sexual content manufactured through AI into existing statutes that prohibit revenge pornography.
The bill aims to address the ease of misusing and exploiting someone's likeness. Hasenbeck, who previously championed legislation against AI-generated child sexual content, warns against the dual-edged nature of technology, stating, "AI has its uses, but it also poses very serious threats. The sharing of revenge pornography, whether real or created by AI, destroys a person's sense of privacy and dignity, wrecks their mental health and ruins lives," in an Oklahoma House of Representatives release.
Hasenbeck highlighted the rapid evolution of AI and stressed the need for the law to keep up. House Bill 3642, which was brought into effect on November 1 last year, fortified the legal framework against AI-generated sexual content involving minors, with Hasenbeck instrumental in broadening the scope of what’s considered child pornography in the digital era.
Hasenbeck cautioned that even individuals with a smartphone possess the power to create deepfake pornography, offering a chilling vision of how accessible such tools have become. "The rapid development of AI has brought an equally rapid development of threats," the representative said in the release. Oklahomans, and indeed individuals everywhere, find themselves in need of stronger legislative shields to safeguard against such personal violations.