The letter represents a growing concern within the AI community about the potential misuse of AI technologies. While it is unlikely to lead to immediate legislation, it serves as an indicator of expert opinion on this controversial issue. The signatories include academics from around the world, as well as individuals from OpenAI and Google Deepmind. The call for regulation of deepfakes is not new and has been debated in the EU for years. However, the letter may influence legislators if they decide to address the issue, providing them with a sense of the views of the global AI academic and development community.
Key takeaways:
- Over 500 people in the artificial intelligence community have signed an open letter calling for strict regulation of AI-generated impersonations, or deepfakes, declaring them a growing threat to society.
- The letter calls for full criminalization of deepfake child sexual abuse materials, criminal penalties for anyone creating or spreading harmful deepfakes, and penalties for developers if their preventative measures are inadequate.
- Prominent signatories of the letter include Jaron Lanier, Frances Haugen, Stuart Russell, Andrew Yang, and Steven Pinker, among others.
- The letter comes amid ongoing debates in the EU over similar measures, and could potentially influence legislators if they decide to take on the issue.