PENNSYLVANIA, USA — As artificial intelligence continues to advance, people are having to decipher what's real and what's not. It's a concern among lawmakers that is evident by a new bill that would require disclaimers for all AI-generated content.
House Bill 1598 was introduced by State Representative Chris Pielli (D-Chester County) and now awaits a vote with the State House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee. He says the bill is simple, if it's made by AI, it has to say it's made by AI.
"This stuff is so good right now that’s out there that you have no idea whether it’s real or not," said Pielli. "We just believe Pennsylvanians have the right to know that the content they're consuming was created by a human or artificial intelligence."
The bill would fall under the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law which lawmakers believe is necessary for the wellbeing of Pennsylvania consumers.
"Disclosure would give people who are reading and viewing the content the information they need to make informed decisions and not be misled," said Pielli. "I think it potentially can do a lot of harm to us as a society, a republic and in so many [other] ways. It’s almost incomprehensible."
A violation of the law would bring civil penalties of up to a $1000 fine or a $3000 fine if the victim is more than 60 years old. It's a rule lawmakers believe is no different than current requirements in place for non-AI products.
"Advertisers have been required to disclosures related to products for decades," said Pielli. "It is fairly new, it’s changing rapidly but it’s a requirement when you look at things historically and consumer products and unfair trade practices that isn’t unusual or burdensome."
Lawmakers see parallels between AI to the rapid emergence of the internet, social media and other technologies. Just like in those circumstances, they say safeguards need to be implemented swiftly.
"We had to deal with laws with those rising technologies of the day," said Pielli. "I’m sure our laws are going to be amended to meet the needs but we’ve got to start now."
Some would argue even more urgent than ever before.
"It is probably one of the biggest game changers in human history," said Pielli. "This is surpassing anything I can think of, it is going to affect every single aspect of our life."
A breakdown of more legislation addressing AI concerns can be found here.