Three US Senators have introduced a bill to protect artists, songwriters, and journalists from the rise of AI-generated content and deepfakes. The COPIED Act, which stands for Content Original Protection and Integrity from Edited and Deepfaked Media, was brought to the Senate by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Sen. Maria Cantwell, and Sen. Martin Heinrich. This bipartisan effort aims to create transparency standards through the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) to regulate content provenance information, watermarking, and synthetic content detection.
If enacted, the COPIED Act would also prevent the unauthorized use of creative or journalistic content to train AI models or generate AI content. The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general would be responsible for enforcing these guidelines, giving individuals the right to take legal action against companies or entities that misuse their content without consent or compensation. Additionally, internet platforms, search engines, and social media companies would be prohibited from tampering with or removing content provenance information.
Various content and journalism advocacy groups, such as SAG-AFTRA, the Recording Industry Association of America, and the National Association of Broadcasters, have expressed their support for the COPIED Act. These organizations believe that the bill will help protect the integrity of creative works and ensure fair compensation for artists and journalists.
The introduction of the COPIED Act reflects a growing concern over the use of AI in creating and distributing content. Earlier this year, Rep. Adam Schiff proposed the Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act, which would require AI companies to disclose their copyrighted sources in datasets. While this bill has not progressed beyond the House Committee on the Judiciary, it highlights the ongoing efforts to address the challenges posed by AI-generated content.
Overall, the COPIED Act represents a significant step towards safeguarding the rights of artists and journalists in the digital age. By establishing clear guidelines and enforcement mechanisms, the bill seeks to protect against the unauthorized use of content and ensure that creators are fairly compensated for their work. As technology continues to evolve, it is essential to enact legislation that reflects these changes and upholds the principles of intellectual property rights.
