The New York state government takes action to prevent fraudulent and untrustworthy uses of Artificial Intelligence (AI), a technology that continues its dizzying progress in all areas of human well-being, but has also increased the risk of new forms of scams. and dissemination of material that manipulates reality for various purposes.
In the fiscal year 2025 state budget, Gov. Kathy Hochul is introducing legislation, adding unauthorized uses of a person’s voice as a misdemeanor, allowing a right of private action to combat digitally manipulated fake images, and updating the Criminal Law to include unauthorized uses of AI.
Added as a crime, for example, the unauthorized use of the voice in relation to advertising activities, specific penalties are also created for the illegal dissemination or publication of an intimate image, to include liability for the illegal dissemination of authentic or digitized audio with sexual content.
The legislation would also clarify that current law’s prohibition on the illegal distribution of intimate or sexually explicit images now includes digital images. It also adds a new right of private action for the publication of digitally altered false material.
“As part of our work to ensure the future of AI in our state, I propose unique protections at the national level, to ensure that we do so safely and responsibly,” said the state leader.
Given the technological evolution of scams that have been detected in New York, AI now allows sophisticated criminals to even clone the voice. For example, there are programs that allow you to imitate or impersonate the voice of a loved one, or a customer service agent, to steal money or information. Dozens of elderly people have been victims of these activities facilitated by technology.
Manipulative and fake videos
In an election year, we want to prevent the dissemination of false material and montages through videos from generating confusion. In January, a 10-second audio recording spread on social media. Manhattan Democratic Party head and former state Assemblyman Keith Wright allegedly fiercely offended Harlem Assemblywoman Inez Dickens. Everything was false. It seemed real. But it was a creation of the AI already known as ‘deepfakes’.
“Yes, she is not running. She’s done. I dug her grave and she rolled into it. Lazy, incompetent. If it weren’t for her, I would be in Congress,” said the politician with a cloned voice.
Go after bad actors
The legislation will help establish important barriers around the use of this technology and give authorities the tools to pursue bad actors.
At the same time, a consortium of leading New York institutions is being created to create AI opportunities focused on the public good.
Hochul has also proposed other legislation, to require that all forms of political communications or election campaigns, including video recordings, films, films, audio recordings, electronic images, photographs, texts or any technological representation of speech or conduct, created using digitization, provide clarification of its use, when published or distributed 60 days before an election.
Mega technology center in NY
Likewise, a new consortium financed by the New York government is confirmed that will launch a state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence computing center in Buffalo, which will be used by major institutions to promote research, create jobs and unlock opportunities. of AI focused on the public good.
The consortium will be supported by seven founding institutions (Columbia, Cornell University, New York University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, State University of New York, City University of New York and the Simons Foundation), as well as by industry leaders.
New technologies, new crimes:
The legislation proposed by Hochul would update the Criminal Law to clarify that crimes committed with the unauthorized use of Artificial Intelligence are already classified in the laws:
- Coercion through AI will become a third degree crime
- Identity theft will constitute a crime in the first and second degree
- Identity theft would be a crime.
- The promotion and possession of a sexual performance by a child will be considered a serious criminal activity.
- In addition, the legislation would establish the crime of Illegal Dissemination or Publication of a Photographic, Videographic or Manufactured Audio Record.