AI Deepfakes Bill Pushes Publicity Rights, Spurs Speech Concerns

Proposed federal protections against AI-generated digital replicas of celebrities and performers pose thorny questions about free speech and how they would interact with existing intellectual property laws.

The proposed No Fakes Act, released as a discussion draft by a bipartisan group of senators last week, would establish the first federal right to control one’s own image and voice, often called the right of publicity. That’s an area of active concern among celebrities, musicians, and actors who have raised alarms about viral AI-created deepfakes circulating on social media.

The YouTube star MrBeast and actor Tom Hanks recently warned of AI ...