Latest news with #D-DE
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Senators Reintroduce 'No Fakes' Bill Taking on AI Deepfakes
A bipartisan group of senators has reintroduced legislation aimed at taking on unauthorized uses of voice and likenesses for AI-generated deepfakes, gaining support from stakeholders in the entertainment and tech industries. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) reintroduced the NO FAKES (Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe) Act on Wednesday alongside Representatives María Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27), Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4) Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-1) and Becca Balint (D-VT-At Large) nearly a year after the bill was first introduced last July. Entertainment organizations like SAG-AFTRA, the RIAA and the MPA had voiced their support of the bill last time, and the newly reintroduced bill has also drawn support from the likes of YouTube and OpenAI. More from The Hollywood Reporter Jennifer Lopez to Host 2025 American Music Awards RIAA CEO, Grammys CEO and SAG-AFTRA's Chief Negotiator Pen Open Letter Backing "No Fakes" Bill Why Kevin Bacon Wanted to Hunt Demons in 'The Bondsman' The bill would establish a federal right for every American for their voice and visual likeness, a particularly sought after distinction for famous actors and recording artists. Per a press release, the bill also requires 'promptly removing unauthorized deepfakes' from UGC platforms. The onus would be on individuals to notify platforms about the use of unauthorized deepfakes. In a press conference on Wednesday, backers emphasized that the bill was supported by a bipartisan coalition, with Rep. Maria Salazar (R-FL) underlining tha 'this is not about politics.' The Motion Picture Association chairman and CEO Charlie Rivkin called the proposed legislation a 'reminder that Congress and our community can come together to do big things for the good of creators and for all Americans.' The bill strives to offer both regular Americans and superstars rights to their voices and likenesses, providing them the opportunity to hold both infringers and platforms liable. But a couple celebrities were on hand on Wednesday to offer their thoughts on how the proposed regulation could help their communities. Country and gospel singer-songwriter Randy Travis, who has suffered aphasia after a strike in 2013, raised the point that AI can help singers like him to record new music, as he did in 2024 in one of the first commercial recordings to feature AI-cloned vocals. In remarks delivered by his wife Mary, Travis said his recent recordings, enabled by new technology, 'are very different from someone else stealing my voice and producing music, music that I never participated in or authorized… no one should be allowed to put words in someone else's mouth or depict them doing something they never did.' Actor Fran Drescher, who also serves as president of actors' union SAG-AFTRA, conveyed her own concerns. 'When the evildoers are actually trying to put words into my mouth that I never said, that goes against my moral compass and everything I stand for, that's where the rubber meets the road,' she said. 'It's time to define what's right and what's wrong.' AI deepfakes have grown increasingly common as the technology has improved and gotten more accessible to the general public, as evidenced as recently as February in a viral video depicting deepfakes of David Schwimmer, Jerry Seinfeld, Scarlett Johansson deploring Kanye West for his stream of antisemitic comments. 'I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind. But I also firmly believe that the potential for hate speech multiplied by A.I. is a far greater threat than any one person who takes accountability for it,' Johansson said back in February a statement of the video. 'We must call out the misuse of A.I., no matter its messaging, or we risk losing a hold on reality.' Joining the legislators in person to commend the bill were Rivkin, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., Drescher, RIAA CEO Mitch Glazier, YouTube global head of artists Vivien Lewit, Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl and Travis. 'This bill reflects what can happen when tech and creative industries come together – foster cutting edge innovation while protecting human identity and artistry,' Kyncl said in a statement. 'We look forward to working with key members of the US Senate and House to help pass the NO FAKES Act this year.' 'This bill proves that we can prioritize the growth of AI and protecting American creativity at the same time,' Glazier said in a statement. 'We applaud Senators Blackburn, Coons, Tillis and Klobuchar; Representatives Salazar, Dean, Moran, Balint and bipartisan colleagues for their incredible leadership on driving this legislation that provides balanced and effective protections for all individuals against exploitative uses of their voice and likeness while supporting free speech, reducing litigation and achieving the promise of AI technology.' During the Wednesday press conference, policymakers emphasized that they think they can get the bill passed this time. Sen. Klobuchar pointed out that her bipartisan TAKE IT DOWN Act addressing nonconsensual porn, including that which is deepfaked, is on the road to getting passed, suggesting that offered hope for the NO FAKES Act. Sen. Coons said stakeholders would not be present without the will to 'move this forward.' And in her remarks, Blackburn emphasized that everyone present wanted to get the bill 'across the finish line.' She added, 'There is so much momentum on this.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
YouTube expands its 'likeness' detection technology, which detects AI fakes, to a handful of top creators
YouTube on Wednesday announced an expansion of its pilot program designed to identify and manage AI-generated content that features the "likeness," including the face, of creators, artists, and other famous or influential figures. The company is also publicly declaring its support for the legislation known as the NO FAKES ACT, which aims to tackle the problem of AI-generated replicas that simulate someone's image or voice to mislead others and create harmful content. The company says it collaborated on the bill with its sponsors, Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and other industry players, including the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association (MPA). Coons and Blackburn will be announcing the reintroduction of the legislation at a press conference on Wednesday. In a blog post, YouTube explains the reasoning behind its continued support, saying that while it understands the potential for AI to "revolutionize creative expression," it also comes with a downside. "We also know there are risks with AI-generated content, including the potential for misuse or to create harmful content. Platforms have a responsibility to address these challenges proactively," according to the post. "The NO FAKES Act provides a smart path forward because it focuses on the best way to balanceprotection with innovation: putting power directly in the hands of individuals to notify platforms ofAI-generated likenesses they believe should come down. This notification process is critical because it makes it possible for platforms to distinguish between authorized content from harmful fakes—without it,platforms simply can't make informed decisions," YouTube says. The company introduced its likeness detection system in partnership with the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in December 2024. The new technology builds on YouTube's efforts with its existing Content ID system, which detects copyright-protected material in users' uploaded videos. Similar to Content ID, the program works to automatically detect violating content -- in this case, simulated faces or voices that were made with AI tools, YouTube explained earlier this year. For the first time, YouTube is also sharing a list of the program's initial pilot testers. These include top YouTube creators like MrBeast, Mark Rober, Doctor Mike, the Flow Podcast, Marques Brownlee, and Estude Matemática. During the testing period, YouTube will work with the creators to scale the technology and refine its controls. The program will expand to reach more creators over the year ahead, the company also said. However, YouTube didn't say when it expects the likeness detection system to launch more publicly. In addition to the likeness detection technology pilot, the company also previously updated its privacy process to allow people to request the removal of altered or synthetic content that simulates their likeness. It also added likeness management tools that let people detect and manage how AI is used to depict them on YouTube. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Every Democrat agrees' Trump's policies leading to ‘chaos' and ‘loss' in market: Sen. Coons
The Senate is set to vote today on a GOP bill to avert a government shutdown. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) joins Chris Jansing to share why he is voting "no" and to weigh in on the impact of President Trump's economic policies.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump admin on transgender issues is a ‘strategy of misdirection': Rep. McBride
Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-DE) joins Andrea Mitchell to address the actions of the Trump administration on transgender individuals, highlighting the concerning implications for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts moving forward. McBride emphasizes that these measures also threaten the rights of transgender people.
